Northwestern University has made antisemitism training compulsory for students, amid federal pressure and threats to cut funding. The training, produced by the pro-Israel Jewish United Federation (JUF), includes a segment where students must distinguish quotes from 'anti-Israel activists' and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. One quote, 'Every time I read Hitler, I fall in love again,' was attributed to an anti-Israel activist, though it was later found to be from a high school student's tweet in 2013.
Critics, including pro-Palestinian groups and some Jewish students, argue the training conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Micol Bez, a graduate student, said the video 'vilifies the movement for rights for Palestinian people' and forces students to accept that anti-Zionism is antisemitic. The training is part of a broader trend at US universities, with at least 60 institutions under federal investigation for alleged antisemitism.
Northwestern implemented the training after President Donald Trump's executive order on antisemitism. Students who do not complete it face registration holds or loss of stipends. However, the move did not prevent the administration from cutting $790m in research funding. Noah Cooper, a student who completed the training, said, 'They thought this would save them – it did not.'
The Guardian reviewed similar materials from JUF and the Anti-Defamation League, finding they promote pro-Israel agendas and advise on countering anti-Israel speech. Opponents say the training does little to protect Jews and instead silences legitimate criticism of Israel.
