On April 16, 2026, Florida International University student Gabriela Saldana was arrested and formally charged for making alleged violent threats regarding the university and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The 23-year-old was charged for sending messages such as, “Netanyahu, if you can hear me, drop some bonbons for us capstone students in Ocean Bank Convention Center,” in a private WhatsApp group chat. Judge Mindy S. Glazer said that such comments, from an outsider’s perspective, could be interpreted as legitimate threats, thus establishing probable cause.
Saldana had apologized in the chat after others expressed concern over the joke, but the apology was not sufficient for the court.
PV senior Hunter Schurke is among many students who, after seeing the case, are now more worried about other issues in America. “I’d much rather see the people in the Epstein files in cuffs than a senior in college,” he said.
Schurke added that the legitimacy of the case itself is questionable. “Whether the courts like it or not, the Netanyahu jokes have become a sort of staple in the Gen-Z cultural sphere. To act as if that’s not a part of the situation is, in my opinion, a direct aggression towards Gabriela Saldana,” he said.
One quick search on TikTok alone will reveal many videos where people joke about Netanyahu striking them down—presumably with some kind of artillery—for trivial matters like getting a bad grade or being cut off by a car. Saldana’s messages likely stemmed from exposure to this niche internet joke, a context which the courts have yet to address.
Outside of this context, the jokes do not realistically carry a credible threat, as the young people making them do not have Netanyahu on speed dial. Rather, the use of the prime minister’s name is a form of dark humor—a means for the younger online generation to cope with the massive loss of life happening at Israel’s hands in the Gaza strip and broader Palestinian territories.
Alongside news stories about students being deported for protesting Israel on campus and commencement speakers being punished for condemning the genocide in Gaza, the latest prosecution over jokes related to Israel raises questions about the priorities of America’s educational and legal systems.
Given the billions of dollars the US government has provided to Israel through military aid and arms, the gradual silencing of opposition for such policies is, for some, an unsurprising development. “This administration’s goal is to seemingly make it look like our power as people, as a class, is being taken away. That we are powerless in the face of our government when in reality we are so much more powerful than a man in a tie, badge or fatigues,” said Schurke.
In classrooms, a case like Saldana’s could affect the willingness of students to express their opinions publicly.
PV government teacher Joe Youngbauer has noticed that students in his classroom feel less inclined to publicly share their opinions. “I think students are generally more comfortable sharing their opinions in writing, as opposed to during class discussions. Some students are more naturally outspoken and are more willing to speak up, but I think that many feel immediately judged by others if they share their opinion about controversial topics,” he said.
With humor now potentially subject to legal scrutiny, concerns about classroom silence may continue to grow.
Despite new anxiety around legal consequences, some students are still entering classrooms and society at large with their First Amendment rights firmly in mind. “I feel a pressure to use my first amendment especially in the face of the countless injustices in our world. Whether it’s ICE, LGBTQIA, Palestinians, or any other issue, you have the responsibility to speak up no matter what the consequences of such an act are,” said Schurke.
However, he added “it should be noted that I am white and not an immigrant. Meaning that my perspective on the use of my rights does come from a place of privilege. Not everybody is able to express things in the same way that I am and I understand that.”
While America’s free speech laws have long protected controversial forms of expression, the current context of federal funding and ongoing Palestinian genocide continues to shape how those laws are interpreted and debated.
As the judicial system established over 250 years ago is once again tested, Youngbauer urges students to be mindful of the complexities of free expression. “There is so much to understand about speech in order to truly grasp its meaning in our society,” he said. “Recognizing the difference between public and private speech, understanding time, place and manner restrictions on speech, and wrestling with the legality of speech that might lead to illegal activity, defamation and obscenities. There is so much to unpack in such an important and complex American right.”
