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Cheyfitz labeled Israel a “terrorist state,” compared Gaza to a Nazi-era extermination camp, and framed Hamas as a legitimate resistance movement.
By Shula Rosen
Cornell University has suspended a Jewish professor known for his anti-Israel activism after he attempted to prevent an Israeli student from enrolling in a class he teaches on Gaza.
The university confirmed the action followed a disciplinary investigation into Professor Eric Cheyfitz, who has drawn sharp criticism for injecting personal political views into campus discourse.
Cheyfitz, a senior lecturer in American studies, is the instructor of “Gaza, Indigeneity, Resistance,” a controversial course focused on Palestinian narratives of resistance and colonialism.
The class, which has long been a subject of protests by Jewish groups and public figures, sparked renewed outcry after the Israeli student reported being barred from participation. The university launched an internal review after receiving the complaint.
A Cornell spokesperson stated that the faculty member acknowledged conduct that violated federal civil rights laws and did not meet the university’s standards for student engagement.
The university said disciplinary action was recommended and that Cheyfitz is not teaching this semester.
It declined to specify whether the course will resume or if Cheyfitz will face further penalties.
Despite widespread criticism, Cheyfitz resumed teaching the course last spring. The syllabus includes terms such as “settler colonialism” and “indigenous resistance,” and references international legal proceedings accusing Israel of potential war crimes.
Outside the classroom, Cheyfitz has hosted unofficial study sessions promoting similar themes and has served as an adviser to the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace.
Following the October 7 Hamas attack, Cheyfitz made inflammatory statements online that provoked strong backlash. Among them, he labeled Israel a “terrorist state,” compared Gaza to a Nazi-era extermination camp, and framed Hamas as a legitimate resistance movement.
These posts prompted formal complaints to university leadership.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff acknowledged growing concerns over the course’s content and lack of balance, saying it risks giving students a distorted view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
While emphasizing academic freedom, he criticized the course’s framing and noted that it is taught outside any Middle East studies department.
The controversy follows other campus tensions, including the reinstatement of Professor Russell Rickford, who previously described the October 7 attacks as “exciting.”
Meanwhile, the university remains in talks with federal officials over restoring research funding withheld due to concerns about antisemitism on campus.
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