In this opinion piece by Jon Falk, vice president of Israel Action and Addressing Antisemitism Program at Hillel International, campus discourse around Israel is framed through three historical lenses: 1948 (Israel’s founding), 1967 (borders and statehood), and October 7, 2023 (recent attacks and their fallout). Falk suggests that recognizing which conversation is taking place can help students better navigate complex discussions about Israel.
University of Kentucky suspended Ramsi Woodcock, a professor at the J. David Rosenberg College of Law, for creating and sharing a petition that calls for “every country in the world to make war on Israel immediately,” while advocating for the country to “submit permanently and unconditionally to the government of Palestine.” The president of the university condemned the petition and said that it does not reflect the views of the University of Kentucky.
Harvard University is reportedly willing to pay as much as $500 million to the federal government in order to settle outstanding antisemitism and civil rights lawsuits. This report comes just a week after Columbia University agreed to pay $221 million in fines to the government related to allegations of antisemitism, which the White House said it sees as a model for settlements with other universities.
Cornell University is reportedly in negotiations with the U.S. government to reclaim hundreds of millions of dollars lost in federal research funding after allegedly failing to prevent antisemitism on campus. The talks are said to mirror the model recently used in Columbia’s $221 million settlement, involving potential fines and policy changes related to campus antisemitism, admissions, and shared oversight.
Rabbi Natan Levy has been announced as Syracuse Hillel’s new campus rabbi and the Jewish chaplain at Hendricks Chapel on campus. Rabbi Levy is an internationally respected religious leader and bridge-builder with extensive campus experience, having served as university Jewish chaplain for Western England and Wales. Levy looks forward to learning from his new colleagues and creating “spaces for transformation now and into the future.”
Stanford University suspended the “Kairos,” a student co-op house, for the 2025–26 academic year after a university investigation found that Jewish students were asked to leave an event based on their perceived identity as “Zionists.” Investigations into Kairos began last spring with one report by the school’s Title VI office finding that the students involved were “targeted based on their perceived Jewish identity.”
Erica Mindel, who previously worked as a consultant to former U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt, was hired as TikTok’s new public policy manager for hate speech. TikTok has faced increased scrutiny over the spread of antisemitic content, especially since October 7, 2023.
University of Madison Wisconsin suspended its Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter after finding that conduct during an anti-Israel protest violated university policies. The protest targeted an event hosted by the La Follette School of Public Affairs featuring former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. The university found that SJP violated five university policies, including obstruction to doors, disorderly conduct, and breach of probation, which was put in place after the 2024 SJP encampment.
Columbia University will pay over $200 million to settle federal investigations into alleged discrimination and civil rights violations regarding the school’s response to antisemitic incidents on campus following the October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel. As part of the settlement, the government will restore $400 million in research funding that it had withheld after accusing Columbia of failing to protect Jewish students during anti-Israel protests. A jointly selected independent monitor, Bart M. Schwartz, will assess Columbia’s compliance with the resolution, including guidelines around admissions and faculty hiring.
The board of directors for the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in the U.S., rejected a proposal to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Made by delegates earlier this month, the proposal would have banned using, endorsing, or publicizing material from the ADL, including Holocaust education materials. More than 300 Jewish communal organizations, including JFNA, AJC, and Hillel International, had signed an open letter to the NEA board in support of the ADL.
Two Israeli citizens, one soldier and one civilian, were arrested and briefly detained in Belgium after traveling to attend the annual Tomorrowland music festival after a complaint by the Hind Rajab Foundation. The foundation was launched in September to advocate for the arrest of Israeli soldiers when they travel abroad for “alleged war crimes.” The two Israelis have since been released, but one claims that he was beaten by the police while being held.
Yoav Segev, a Jewish Harvard student, filed a lawsuit against the school for failing to protect him after he was attacked on campus during an anti-Israel “die-in”, and later rewarding the assailants with honors. Segev had previously tried to join lawsuits against Harvard anonymously, but his information ended up being leaked, including by the student paper, the Harvard Crimson.