AAUP president urges U.S. to cut all weapons to Israel, accuses Jewish state of 'scholasticide'

The president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is calling on the United States to end all weapons sales to Israel, accusing the country of deliberately destroying Gaza’s educational system.

AAUP President Todd Wolfson of Rutgers University told Inside Higher Ed that Israel is committing “scholasticide,” a term used to describe the systematic targeting of schools and universities. He claimed that U.S. taxpayer-funded weapons are contributing to the destruction and insisted the United States should stop supplying both offensive and defensive military equipment to Israel.

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“We believe strongly that no weapons should be sent to Israel at all. Not defensive or offensive, nothing,” Wolfson said. He added that if Israel is “purposefully destroying the educational infrastructure … of Gaza,” that directly “stands against our values of academic freedom,” and justifies the AAUP’s push to end “scholasticide.”

The phrase was first coined in 2009 and resurfaced in 2024, when the United Nations issued a statement alleging Israel was systematically attacking schools in Gaza. Earlier this year, the American Historical Association voted 428-88 to denounce scholasticide and oppose U.S. funding of Israel, though its leadership later blocked the resolution.

The AAUP itself has shifted positions on Middle East issues. In 2024, it ended its long-standing opposition to academic boycotts, opening the door for resolutions against Israel.

The organization also promoted a March webinar titled “Scholasticide in Palestine,” which the Anti-Defamation League and other pro-Israel groups condemned as demonizing the Jewish state.

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AAUP’s latest comments drew renewed scrutiny of the group’s political leanings. Critics argue the organization has increasingly aligned itself with leftist activism rather than sticking to its core mission of defending academic freedom.

Campus Reform has reached out to AAUP, the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Anti-Defamation League for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.