Harvard professors hired to combat antisemitism join ‘Jewish anti-Zionist’ event

Two professors Harvard cited as evidence of its commitment to fighting antisemitism are set to participate in an anti-Zionist event featuring an academic who defended Hamas’ October 7 massacre.

By World Israel News Staff

Harvard University is facing new questions about its commitment to fighting antisemitism after two recently appointed Jewish studies professors were named as participants in an upcoming event promoting Jewish anti-Zionism.

The controversy comes as Harvard battles the Trump administration over allegations of antisemitism on campus, with billions of dollars in federal funding at stake.

In court documents and public statements, Harvard has pointed to its hiring of Jewish studies professors as evidence of what it calls its “commitment to combating antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias.”

But according to a report by Ira Stoll in the Washington Free Beacon, two professors highlighted in those efforts are now scheduled to participate in a November symposium and book launch devoted to Jewish anti-Zionism.

The event, hosted by Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies, will feature a keynote address by Judith Butler, a prominent anti-Israel academic who has defended the October 7 Hamas massacre as an act of resistance.

Butler, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, described the October 7 attack as “not a terrorist attack, not an antisemitic attack,” but rather “an act of armed resistance.”

She has also supported boycotts of Israel for years.

Harvard’s new professors

The two Harvard professors participating in the event are Jessica Marglin and Shaul Magid.

Marglin was recently appointed Harvard’s Jacob E. Safra Professor of Jewish History and Sephardic Civilization. She is scheduled to moderate a 90-minute discussion on the history of Jewish anti-Zionism and participate in another panel examining the movement today.

Magid, Harvard Divinity School’s Professor of Modern Jewish Studies in Residence, is one of the editors of the book being launched at the event.

The book, Jewish Anti-Zionism: A Historical Anthology, was co-edited by Zev Mishell, a 2025 graduate of Harvard Divinity School.

The book challenges the role of Zionism in Jewish identity and accuses mainstream Jewish organizations of using allegations of antisemitism to silence criticism of Israel.

Its introduction claims that Jewish Zionists have systematically excluded Palestinian perspectives from Jewish schools, camps, and institutions while promoting a one-sided understanding of Jewish history.

The authors also argue that accusations of antisemitism against pro-Palestinian activists are frequently unjustified.

They describe what they call a campaign of “spurious accusations of antisemitism” directed at social justice activists, particularly those involved in pro-Palestinian activism.

A contradiction in Harvard’s antisemitism policy

One of the most controversial aspects of the book involves its criticism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

The definition, which has been adopted or endorsed by numerous governments and institutions, includes examples of when criticism of Israel can cross the line into antisemitism.

Harvard itself adopted the IHRA definition as part of a legal settlement with Jewish students who accused the university of failing to protect them from antisemitic discrimination.

Yet the book being promoted at the upcoming event criticizes the definition, arguing that it has been used to attack free speech and suppress anti-Zionist views.

That creates an uncomfortable situation for Harvard, which has cited its expansion of Jewish studies as part of its response to accusations that it has tolerated antisemitism and anti-Israel bias.

While participation in an academic discussion does not necessarily indicate agreement with every position expressed by its speakers, the event’s focus and the book’s arguments raise questions about how Harvard’s new appointments fit into its stated efforts to combat antisemitism.

The participation of Butler, whose statements about October 7 have drawn widespread criticism, adds another layer to the controversy.

The book’s editors also argue that Jewish anti-Zionists have been unfairly excluded from mainstream Jewish life and accused of betraying their own people.

They present their anthology as an effort to revive a tradition of Jewish opposition to Zionism, particularly in light of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Questions remain unanswered

According to the Washington Free Beacon, Marglin and Mishell did not respond to requests for comment about the upcoming event.

The controversy comes amid continuing scrutiny of Harvard’s handling of antisemitism following the October 7 Hamas massacre and the wave of anti-Israel demonstrations that followed on American campuses.

Harvard has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to protecting Jewish students and addressing antisemitism.

But the participation of two of its newly appointed Jewish studies professors in an event centered on anti-Zionism, alongside a keynote speaker who defended the October 7 attack, is likely to intensify questions about whether the university’s actions match its public commitments.