A top CUNY official is spreading “antisemitic” conspiracy theories and lies that Israel was in on or welcomed Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre as a “pretext” to take over the Gaza strip, critics fume.
Arthur Cheliotes, 76, the board chairman of CUNY’s School of Labor and Urban Studies, posted an online thread that compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, too.
Cheliotes, who was instrumental in founding the CUNY “social justice” Labor School, reposted on Facebook a series of conspiracies and falsehoods under the heading, “What Israel Doesn’t Want You to Know,” and accompanied by a picture of Netanyahu and the Israeli Star of David flag.
It says:
“1. Egypt warned Israel — twice.
“2. Israel gave Hamas $200 million in cash.
“3. 2/3 of IDF Troops were pulled from [the] Gaza border 3 days before.
“4. Israel invoked the Hannibal Directive — killing their own to prevent hostage-taking.
“5. Bodies were moved to the music festival. No explanation given.
“6. Border surveillance footage deleted.
“7. Lies about ‘beheaded babies and mass rape’ were pushed — none confirmed.”
The message then closes with, “They wanted a pretext. Gaza was the goal.”
In another post, the CUNY big — who served as president of the Communication Workers of America Local 1180 for 39 years — shows a picture side by side of Hitler and the Nazi flag in the year 1939 with Netanyahu and the Israeli flag in 2023.
A CUNY insider who has known Cheliotes for years was stunned by the posts.
“I’m blown away. I’m saddened. These are bogus conspiracy theories that are at odds with the truth,” the source said.
Former longtime City University Board of Trustees Jeffrey Wiesenfeld fumed, “This man is an imbecile and antisemite.”
There are legitimate criticisms that Israel’s intelligence and security underestimated the threat from Hamas, Wiesenfeld said. The terrorists’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack caught Israel defenses off guard, slaughtering 1,200 and triggering the brutal retaliatory war in Gaza.
“The worst thing you can do the martyrdom of 1,200 people who were killed. Of course this is antisemitic,” Wiesenfeld said.
“This man is disgrace to New York City, to union leadership and to CUNY.”
Weisenfeld said President Trump and his team fighting antisemitism at Ivy League schools such as Columbia and Harvard should pivot to CUNY “where there’s enough trash to clean up for a long time.”
Cheliotes, who was instrumental over 40 years in setting up labor programs at CUNY and creating the the Labor school, defended his postings during a Sunday interview.
“These positions seem reasonable to me,” said Cheliotes, who has chaired the CUNY Labor school’s advisory board since its creation.
Asked if any of the seven points were conspiratorial or falsehoods, Cheliots, “I don’t know? Are they?”
He claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin is taking certain actions to extend the Gaza war to avoid prosecution of criminal indictments against him and jail time.
“You create a crisis to stay in power and create a circustmance to harm your people. That’s what I think Netanyahu has done,” said Chelioties, doubling down on the conspiracy theory.
“[Netanyanu] allowed the circumstances to allow [the Oct. 27,2023 Hamas attack] to happen.
Cheliotes shot down claims that he’s a Jew hater, noting his mother was under Nazi occupation in Greece. His father fought the Nazis in the US military during World II and two uncles fought the Nazi occupation in Greece.
He visited Israel twice and supports its people.
“I’m particularly sensitive to anyone who claims I’m antisemitic,” said Cheliotes. CUNY declined to comment.
Anti-Israel protests have marred some of CUNY’s campuses.
Last month, Brooklyn College saw anti-Israel student agitators brawl with cops after they set up a tent encampment — with one officer being forced to fire a Taser to subdue a violent protester.
In another frightening incident last year, anti-Israel criminals caused at least $3 million in damage and the need for costly extra security at taxpayer-funded City College’s campus in Upper Manhattan during a violent protest there last year.
CUNY officials said they’ve moved to tamp down on Israel-bashing, antisemitism and other form of discrimination of their campuses.
Still, reports of campus antisemitism are of such concern that Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered a review of Jew-hatred at CUNY campuses in 2023.
The analysis — released last September and overseen by former state chief judge Jonathan Lippman –concluded that CUNY needed a top-to-bottom overhaul to combat “alarming’’ antisemitism fanned by its own faculty and do-nothing higher-ups.
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