Plano antisemitism forum disrupted after Zoom hack, organizers say

A meeting in Plano meant to address concerns about antisemitism was disrupted last night after organizers say someone hacked into the virtual portion of the event and intentionally sabotaged it.

The gathering, held inside a Plano synagogue, began as a discussion about antisemitism on college campuses but quickly turned chaotic.

"Sadly, this is not unusual for us," Mothers Against College Antisemitism Board President Miriam Zivin said. "Those of us who have been active in the role of combating antisemitism are all too much familiar with this."

Zivin said about 40 people attended, with some joining through a Zoom link.

Hostile video appears on screen

During a presentation, a video of a man shouting anti‑Israeli rhetoric appeared on the screen.

"He's an antisemite who has a lot of followers on social media, and he began to yell things out," Zivin said.

The presentation was also interrupted when the words "Free Palestine" were written across the screen.

Organizers shut down virtual feed

"Of course, we were scared," Zivin said. "We were on guard. We didn't know the extent of this Zoom hijacking, so we took precautions and shut it off."

The organization said the disruption was clearly intentional and designed to derail the conversation. Leaders want the incident investigated as a hate crime and are in the process of filing a police report.

Group compiling evidence for police

"We're compiling all the photos and evidence," Zivin said. "Unfortunately, with everything that is going on nationwide, worldwide, when it comes to antisemitism, these are small events that cannot be overlooked."

Zivin said incidents like this highlight the need for civility and accountability.