Rashid Khalidi, a prominent historian and professor emeritus at Columbia University, has cancelled his planned course for the fall semester in protest of the university's recent settlement with the Trump administration. In an open letter published in the Guardian, Khalidi accused Columbia of 'capitulating' to government demands that he says undermine academic freedom.
The settlement, announced last week, requires Columbia to pay over $200 million to the federal government after the White House claimed the university failed to address alleged antisemitism on campus during pro-Palestinian protests. The deal also includes expanding the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, reviewing the Middle East curriculum, and cutting diversity programmes. An independent monitor will oversee compliance.
Khalidi, who retired last year after more than two decades at Columbia, wrote that the university's adoption of a definition of antisemitism that 'conflates Jewishness with Israel' makes it impossible to teach honestly about the creation of Israel or the conflict in Gaza. He argued that the agreement will force faculty and students to constrain their speech to avoid punishment.
The historian described the deal as 'abhorrent' for requiring the review of syllabuses and scholarship by outside actors. He concluded that Columbia has become 'a shadow of its former self, an anti-university, a place of fear and loathing'. The university has faced criticism from faculty, students, and alumni who argue the settlement restricts pro-Palestinian speech and academic independence.
