UPenn research center elevates Vox writer who botched Israel geography
The University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House has named Vox writer Zack Beauchamp, who has substantial anti-Israel credentials, as a distinguished visiting fellow for 2025–26.
Beauchamp previously made headlines for a geographical error he made while writing about the Israel–Palestine conflict.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House has named Vox writer Zack Beauchamp, who has substantial anti-Israel credentials, as a distinguished visiting fellow for 2025–26.
Beauchamp, who will instruct students about international affairs, will join a program that includes former cabinet members and U.N. officials as visiting experts, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon.
Beauchamp previously made headlines for a geographical error he made while writing about the Israel–Palestine conflict.
In 2014, the writer erroneously claimed that Gaza and the West Bank were connected by a bridge that Israel restricts traffic on, according to The Federalist.
In his article, “11 crucial facts to understand the Israel-Gaza crisis,” Beauchamp originally wrote, “They’re connected only by a bridge that Israel limits traffic on,” despite the fact that no such bridge exists.
Vox later corrected part of the article, observing that “An earlier version of this post suggested there was a bridge connecting Gaza and the West Bank.”
“Various plans to do this have been floated, but the bridge was never actually built,” the site clarified.
According to a biography online, Beauchamp is a senior Vox correspondent and host of its foreign policy podcast, Worldly. He covers global politics, populist movements, and identity in American politics.
As of publication, Beauchamp’s latest articles on Vox include titles such as “The right debates just how weird their authoritarianism should be,” “The real reason Trump’s DC takeover is scary,” and “Israel’s Gaza policy is viciously cruel — and strategically disastrous.”
In an article published on Aug. 12, Beauchamp asked, “Do Israelis care that Gazans are starving?”
This is not the first time that UPenn has been connected to anti-Israel advocacy. In December, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro criticized the school, saying it had “lost its way” regarding anti-Semitism.
Speaking with American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, Shapiro emphasized universities’ moral and legal duty to keep students safe, noting some had allowed hate to persist. He acknowledged the university is now taking steps to improve under its interim president.
This summer, UPenn removed donor Stephen A. Levin’s name from a campus building after he withdrew his $15 million pledge, criticizing the school’s handling of anti-Semitism and ideological bias.
“I want my name removed from the building and no longer want to be associated with Penn,” Levin wrote. “Penn is an embarrassment not only to the Jewish community but also has lost its luster as a superb Ivy League school.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Pennsylvania and Zack Beauchamp for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
