“We have no choice but to disobey”: Scholars Violate Discredited IHRA Definition

IHRA is a widely discredited definition of antisemitism that conflates accurate, evidence-based, and revealing criticism of Israeli policies with bigotry. For this reason it has become the preferred definition of the Trump administration and authoritarian forces throughout the world seeking to silence those who stand in solidarity with Palestine. The Trump administration has relied upon IHRA as the justification for deporting international students, its travel ban, defunding scientific research, repressing protesters, attacking trans students, dismantling DEI initiatives, and even targeting human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. 

Despite this, too many university administrators have been quick to bend the knee to Trump, adopting this censorious definition rather than stand up for free speech and academic freedom.

We who work in academic settings oppose the IHRA definition of antisemitism. For many of us, this restrictive and inaccurate definition of antisemitism makes our work as scholars and teachers impossible. For some of us, it would even require banning our own books or self-censoring our classroom teaching. For all of us, it violates our fundamental commitments to free inquiry and social justice that have led us to express solidarity with Palestinians. 

We have no choice but to disobey. The following scholars have engaged in an act of civil disobedience in defiance of the discredited IHRA definition. For more information about this protest or to find out how you can join us, please contact [email protected]. 

The following scholars have engaged in IHRA violations: 

City University of New York (CUNY)

• Dr. David Arnow, Professor of Computer and Information Sciences, Brooklyn College (CUNY)

• Dr. Aránzazu Borrachero Mendívil, Professor in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literatures, Queensboro Community College (CUNY)

• Dr. Jean Halley, Professor of Sociology, College of Staten Island (CUNY)

• Dr. Joseph Juhasz, Professor Emeritus of Architecture and Environmental Design at the University of Colorado and Dr. Alexandra Juhasz, Distinguished Professor of Film, Brooklyn College (CUNY)

• Dr. Christopher Stone, Associate Professor of Arabic, Hunter College (CUNY)

• Dr. Ruth Wangerin, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Lehman College (CUNY)

• Dr. Renate Bridenthal, Professor Emeritus of Women and Gender Studies, City University of New York

Columbia University

• Dr. Jack Halberstam, David Feinson Professor of Humanities, Columbia University

• Dr. Michael Harris, Professor of Mathematics, Columbia University

• Dr. Marianne Hirsch, William Peterfield Trent Professor Emerita of English and Comparative Literature and the Institute for the Study of Sexuality and Gender, Columbia University

• Dr. Jennifer S. Hirsch, Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.

• Dr. Salman Khan, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

• Dr. Sharon Schwartz, Professor of Epidemiology, Columbia University Irving Medical School

• Dr. Bruce Robbins, Old Dominion Foundation Professor of Humanities in the Department of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University

• Dr. Michael Thaddeus, Professor of Mathematics, Columbia University

Pennsylvania State University

• Dr. Joan Landes, Ferree Professor Emeritus of Early Modern History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality, Penn State University

• ​​Dr. Daniel Letwin, Associate Professor of History, Penn State University

• Dr. Alex Lubin, Professor of African American Studies and History, Penn State University

• Dr. Tamir Sorek, Liberal Arts Professor of Middle East History at Penn State University

• Dr. Ran Zwigenberg, Associate Professor of Asian Studies and Jewish Studies, Penn State University

Other universities:

• David Letwin, Lecturer, Rutgers University

• Dr. Nikki Morse, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

• Rabbi Dr. Rebecca T. Alpert, Professor of Religion Emerita at Temple University
• Dr. Joel Benin, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History and Professor of Middle East History, Emeritus at Stanford University
• Dr. Bernadette Brooten, Kraft-Hiatt Professor Emerita of Christian Studies in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Department and Professor Emerita of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Religious Studies; and Greek and Roman Studies at Brandeis University
• Dr. Judith Butler, Distinguished Professor, University of California, Berkeley 
• Jonathan Feingold, Professor of Law, Boston University
• Dr. Penny Gold, Burkhardt Distinguished Professor of History, Emerita at Knox College.
• Dr. Marianne Hirsch, William Peterfield Trent Professor Emerita of English and Comparative Literature and the Institute for the Study of Sexuality and Gender at Columbia University
• Dr. Nitzan Lebovic, Apter Chair of Holocaust Studies and Ethical Values, Lehigh University
• Dr. Bruce Levine, J. G. Randall Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Dr. Alex Lubin, Professor of African American Studies and History, Penn State University
• Dr. Atalia Omer, Professor of Religion, Conflict, and Peace Studies, Notre Dame University
• Dr. Penny Rosenwasser, City College of San Francisco
• Dr. Jonah Rubin, Sr. Manager of Campus Organizing, Jewish Voice for Peace
• Dr. Rayna Rusenko, Independent Scholar, National Coalition of Independent Scholars
• Dr. Jennifer Ruth, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Professor of Film at Portland State University
• Dr. Daniel Segal, Jean M. Pitzer Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Professor Emeritus of History at Pitzer College
• Dr. Raz Segal, Associate Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Stockton University
• Dr. Aaron Shakow, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard University
• Dr. Victor Silverman, Emeritus Professor of History, Pomona College
• Dr. Barry Trachtenberg, Rubin Presidential Chair of Jewish History at Wake Forest University
• Dr. Rachel Ida Buff, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
• Dr. Hasia Diner, Paul And Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History at New York University.
• Dr. Emmaia Gelman, founding Director of the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism.
• Dr. Lisa Heineman, Professor of History, University of Iowa
• Dr. Mark Levine, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of California, Irvine.
• Dr. Laura Levitt, Professor of Religion, Jewish Studies and Gender at Temple University.
• Dr. Zachary Lockman, Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, and History at New York University.
• Nina Mehta, Co-Director of PARCEO.
• Dr. Eli Myerhoff, AAUP Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom Fellow.
• Dr. Donna Nevel, co-director of PARCEO and an expert in antisemitism.
• Dr. David Slavin, Emory University.
• Dr. Arlene Stein, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University
• Dr. Alan Wald, H. Chandler Davis Collegiate Professor Emeritus at University of Michigan.