The New York Post on March 27, 2025, printed a story, “CUNY Modifies Hunter College ‘Palestine Studies’ Job Listing After Gov. Hochul Ordered It Removed.” After notification by the Post and various Jewish oriented organizations, Gov. Hochul ordered the posting to be deleted. Whether this was meant to not offer the course(s) at all or just change the wording was not made clear in the article. The notice of what the college was looking for in the instructor was severely changed in deference to the governor.
Here is the critical wording in the original article that was found to be so abhorrent. Following is the quote as written in the article with the notice that I have capitalized the wording that I found to be most offensive. “We seek a historically grounded scholar who takes a critical lens to issues to Palestine INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: SETTLER COLONIALISM, HUMAN RIGHTS, APARTHEID, MIGRATION, CLIMATE AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVASTATION, HEALTH, RACE, GENDER AND SEXUALITY. We are open to diverse theoretical and methodological approaches….”
This was replaced by the benign post declaring that, “We are open to diverse theoretical and methodological approaches and seek historically grounded candidates who take a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine, who are interested in public facing work and who exhibit a commitment to be part of the life of the college.…” All of the offensive, biased language was eradicated. Does anyone believe that the criteria for choosing the scholar filling the post will not be based according to the original curriculum vitae? Should those who authored the original posting be investigated for their seemingly bigoted requirements? The course, if given, should have the course curriculum studied by a group that can make sure it is even handed. The classes should be taped and reviewed. Pro-Israel students should sign up, attend and record each session. They should be supported and aided by pro-Israel organizations both “left and right.”
We have enough anti-Israel, antisemitic manifestations on the grounds of the CUNY facilities without a class that will seem to encourage more.
