Daisy Hernández, a professor at Northwestern University, has aligned herself with radical anti-Israel activism under the guise of cultural critique and academic freedom. While presenting herself as a literary scholar and advocate for marginalized voices, Hernández uses her platform to amplify narratives that sanitize extremism, erase terrorism, and foster hostility toward the Jewish community—all while leveraging her authority as an educator and author.

Public Activism & Extremist Alignment

• On August 22, 2024, Hernández attended a pro-Palestinian protest at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago—an event tied to demonstrators who carried signs and messages supporting the “intifada,” a term frequently associated with anti-Jewish violence.

• In November 2023, she signed an open letter defending pro-Palestinian students at Northwestern who were accused of antisemitism. The letter, titled “NU Faculty across schools respond to President Schill”, attacked university leadership for condemning antisemitic incidents and framed acts of hate as protected dissent.

• Her support for students promoting extremist rhetoric reflects a dangerous disregard for the safety and well-being of Jewish students on campus.

Platforming and Promoting Radical Voices

• Hernández has repeatedly endorsed writers whose work romanticizes Gaza and erases the role of Hamas terrorism in the ongoing conflict.

  • She praised Heba Hayek’s book Sambac Beneath Unlikely Skies, describing it as a tender reflection on girlhood in Gaza. The book, like much of the author’s work, omits any reference to terrorism or Hamas violence, instead presenting a selectively nostalgic and sanitized view of life under conflict.

  • She also promoted a thesis titled “Airplanes to Nowhere” by Hayek, a collection of auto-fiction stories inspired by the experiences of Palestinian women in the diaspora—again omitting critical context about the region’s violent political landscape.

Academic Cover for Anti-Israel Sentiment

• While Hernández may not make overtly violent or hateful statements herself, her endorsements, affiliations, and silence on terrorism speak volumes. She chooses to uplift voices that frame Israel as a colonial oppressor and Palestinians as victims of unprovoked violence—completely omitting any acknowledgment of October 7, 2023, or the countless atrocities committed by Hamas.

• Her scholarship and public commentary create an intellectual echo chamber that fuels anti-Israel bias in classrooms and subtly validates antisemitic worldviews among students.

Why It Matters

Professors like Daisy Hernández may not explicitly endorse terror—but they cultivate an academic culture that excuses it, rewards one-sided narratives, and turns a blind eye to violence when committed in the name of “resistance.”

• She defends students accused of antisemitism as victims of institutional oppression.
• She platforms works that romanticize Gaza while ignoring the region’s role in terrorism.
• She uses her authority as a professor to legitimize radicalism under the guise of identity and solidarity.

Northwestern University must confront the academic radicals who blur the line between dissent and dangerous misinformation. Daisy Hernández is not educating students—she is helping normalize extremism in America’s classrooms.