A recent commencement speech at California's El Camino Community College has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with accusations of antisemitism directed at the speaker, 18-year-old Jana Abulaban. During her address, Abulaban, a Palestinian immigrant, dedicated her graduation to Palestinians and condemned Israel as an "oppressive apartheid state." This has drawn comparisons to the contentious speech delivered by CUNY Law School graduate Fatima Mousa Mohammed, who also faced criticism for similar remarks.

Abulaban's speech quickly became a topic of debate online, with El Camino Community College facing backlash for sharing a seemingly innocuous quote from her address on Twitter, while the more controversial portions gained traction in the media. Critics accused the college of promoting antisemitic views and questioned the review process for graduation speeches. Some even called for a review of the institution's public funding. The non-profit group StopAntisemitism raised concerns about the use of taxpayer dollars at institutions where such speeches are delivered.

Dr. Neil Orlowsky, Director of Education and Chair of Global Education with The Abraham Global Peace Initiative, characterized Abulaban's rhetoric as "virtue signaling." Many individuals expressed support for Israel by sharing the Israeli flag emoji on social media. El Camino Community College has not yet issued a public response to the controversy.

In an interview with The New York Post, Abulaban defended her comments, stating she harbors no hatred but felt compelled to highlight what she perceives as atrocities committed by the Israeli government. She clarified that her criticism was directed at the government, not the Jewish people. Abulaban also maintained that neither her speech nor Mohammed's intended to incite violence or hatred against any religion.