CUNY takes down Palestinian Studies job posting amid anti-Semitism concerns
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently told the City University of New York that it must remove a job offer for a professorship in Palestinian Studies at Hunter College because of its anti-Semitic language.
The job listing asked for applicants who are familiar with topics such as 'settler colonialism,' 'genocide,' and 'apartheid,' according to The New York Post.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently told the City University of New York (CUNY) that it must remove a job offer for a professorship in “Palestinian Studies” at Hunter College because of its anti-Semitic language.
The job listing asked for applicants who are familiar with topics such as “settler colonialism,” “genocide,” and “apartheid,” according to The New York Post.
“We seek a historically grounded scholar who takes a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine including but not limited to: settler colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid, migration, climate and infrastructure devastation, health, race, gender, and sexuality,” the job description reportedly stated.
The position was set to pay between around $82,928 to $141,858, according to the Jewish News Syndicate. Hochul asserted that the use of terms including “settler colonialism,” “genocide” and “apartheid” was anti-Semitic, according to InsideHigherEd.
CUNY complied with the governor’s order the same day. “We find this language divisive, polarizing and inappropriate and strongly agree with Governor Hochul’s direction to remove this posting, which we have ensured Hunter College has since done,” CUNY system Chancellor Felix Matos Rodríguez stated about the job posting.
In a statement posted to X, the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York thanked Hochul for taking a stand against what the group called “antisemitic conspiracy theories.”
“Thank you, [Governor Kathy Hochul], for taking decisive action against a course that would have promoted hate and antisemitic conspiracy theories at [CUNY],” the group stated. “This decision reaffirms the importance of fostering a respectful and inclusive educational environment.”
This is far from the first time the CUNY system has made headlines regarding anti-Israel sentiment at its campuses.
In late February, a faculty union at CUNY had to revoke a resolution in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement after public backlash.
Earlier this year, a CUNY graduate who gave a pro-BDS commencement speech in 2023 blamed Israel for the recent major fires in the Los Angeles area.
Campus Reform reported that, during the fall semester, a coalition of pro-Palestine groups at various CUNY campuses hosted a joint protest in opposition to the Jewish state. “But while we sit here and grieve, CUNY continues to fund and support the ongoing genocide,” one student group wrote in an advertisement for the protest.
Campus Reform has contacted the City University of New York for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
