Jewish Faculty Accuse Universities of Misusing Antisemitism Claims to Silence Critics

A growing number of Jewish professors across U.S. universities are calling out what they describe as the weaponization of antisemitism by both the federal government and academic institutions to suppress political dissent and silence criticism of Israel.

At the University of Virginia, over 40 Jewish faculty members signed a public letter published in The Cavalier Daily, warning of the dangerous misuse of antisemitism accusations.

“Politically disfavored speech is disingenuously being labeled antisemitism,” the statement reads. “This misrepresentation turns Jews into scapegoats for political repression and endangers Jewish safety.”

The signatories argue that the term is being distorted to harass, punish, and defame students, faculty, and staff — particularly those voicing support for Palestinian rights.

Campus Protests and Federal Pressure

Since October 2023, when Israel began its military response to Hamas’ attack, tension on U.S. campuses has surged. Many student-led antiwar protests — largely peaceful — have been met with harsh institutional backlash and accusations of antisemitism.

Jewish faculty from Columbia University and Barnard College issued a similar statement in April 2024, denouncing the conflation of Zionism with Jewish identity.

“Labeling pro-Palestinian expression as anti-Jewish hate speech is a false and dangerous conflation,” their statement read. “It erases Jewish diversity and the long-standing debate about Israel’s identity.”

These sentiments were echoed this week by Jewish staff from CUNY, UC Berkeley, and Georgetown, who asserted in a joint letter: “There is no rampant crisis of antisemitism on our campuses.”

Free Speech and Political Influence

Following President Trump’s return to office, universities have faced increased political scrutiny and threats of defunding if they fail to ban certain forms of expression. Critics argue these moves are part of a broader attempt to exert control over higher education and stifle pro-Palestinian advocacy.

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan was reportedly pressured to resign to help settle a Justice Department probe into the school’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Despite bipartisan claims of growing antisemitism, Jewish academics insist that supporting Palestinian rights is not antisemitic — but a moral obligation rooted in the Jewish principle of tzedek (justice).

“To defend the Palestinian right to live is to defend the shared life of all people to survive and flourish,” one statement concluded.