Faculty's role in campus antisemitism overlooked over last decade, new AMCHA research reveals
AMCHA Initiative Director Tammi Rossman-Benjamin argues that faculty-led anti-Zionist activism served as a central driver of campus antisemitism.
A new research study by AMCHA Initiative highlights that faculty-led anti-Zionist activism, particularly their support for academic boycotts of Israel, has been a significant and previously unexamined factor contributing to campus antisemitism over the past decade.
The analysis, conducted by AMCHA director Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, reveals that faculty endorsement of these boycotts is a measurable indicator of rising antisemitism on US college campuses. AMCHA has been tracking faculty members publicly backing these boycotts since 2013, and the research shows this faculty support consistently predicts where antisemitism is most likely to emerge and intensify.
Campuses with a higher concentration of faculty boycott supporters experience increased reports of antisemitic activity. The presence of such faculty was found to be a stronger predictor of targeting Jewish students for harm than even the existence of anti-Zionist student groups. Departments with at least one faculty member backing boycotts were 10 times more likely to sponsor events featuring boycott-supporting speakers, and campuses with five or more faculty boycotters were seven times more likely to endorse anti-Zionist statements.
Following the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, faculty activism evolved into organized networks like Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP). The research found that campuses with pre-existing faculty boycotters were seven times more likely to establish FJP chapters. These FJP groups were associated with a significantly higher incidence of physical assaults on Jewish students, violent threats, and longer-lasting protests compared to institutions without these specific indicators.
To help assess and address institutional risks, the study introduces the Anti-Zionist Faculty Barometer, a metric that evaluates campuses based on the number of faculty boycotters, the presence of FJP chapters, levels of departmental activity, and specific statements. The authors conclude that faculty boycott activity not only signals but also drives campus antisemitism, making it a critical but previously overlooked aspect of the problem.
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