Eve Troutt Powell, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania specializing in the modern Middle East, has consistently used her academic position to spread inflammatory rhetoric, align with extremist ideologies, and trivialize the realities of terrorism. Through her public statements, participation in controversial events, and alignment with divisive organizations, Troutt Powell has fostered a climate of hostility, alienating students and undermining the principles of intellectual integrity and inclusivity that universities strive to uphold.

A History of Extremism and Antisemitism

Troutt Powell’s statements and actions reveal a consistent pattern of dismissing the suffering caused by terrorism while perpetuating antisemitic tropes and defending violent ideologies.

• October 16, 2023 – Collective Walkout for Palestine:
  At this rally, Troutt Powell asked students:

  “In everything that you’ve studied, students, have you ever heard of a people who stop fighting back?”
  This glorification of violent resistance ignored the brutal civilian toll of terrorist attacks. She also shouted:
  “Never again! This now is never again!” — an inflammatory misuse of Holocaust language widely recognized as a form of contemporary antisemitism.

• Dismissal of Victims of Terrorism:
  Following Hamas’s October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians, Troutt Powell consistently minimized these atrocities. On social media, she dismissed public outcry as “shrillness” used to distract from what she described as “genocide,” aligning herself with narratives that justify terrorism and dehumanize Jewish victims.

• According to a lawsuit filed in early 2024, Troutt Powell liked an Instagram post praising the October 7 attack and commented in agreement with a post condemning Israeli apartheid without addressing the slaughter committed by Hamas. A former student also reported that on the first day of class in Spring 2022, Troutt Powell referred to Israel as a “psycho-Nazi state.”

Legal Action to Shield Antisemitism

On March 9, 2024, Troutt Powell joined several faculty in filing a lawsuit against the University of Pennsylvania to prevent it from handing over documents to the House Committee on Education as part of a federal investigation into antisemitism on campus.

• The complaint dismissed allegations of antisemitism, claiming that the term was being used “in egregious ontological error” to “chill, punish, and end virtually all moral, political, legal, and other criticism of the nation-state Israel.”

• It also falsely claimed that UPenn had failed to support students who questioned Israeli policies.

• The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, underscoring its lack of legal merit. Nonetheless, it sent a chilling message to Jewish students that their safety concerns were being actively discredited by faculty.

Troutt Powell was later named in a separate lawsuit against the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania for the administration’s failure to remedy a hostile, antisemitic environment on campus.

Participation in Extremist Events

Troutt Powell has repeatedly used her platform to support radical events that marginalize Jewish students and normalize antisemitic narratives:

• September 2023 – Palestine Writes Literature Festival:
  Troutt Powell was both a featured speaker and a signatory of a faculty letter defending the festival, which featured known antisemites such as Susan Abulhawa, Refaat Alareer, and Roger Waters. Despite widespread backlash from donors and Jewish students, she framed the event as essential for free speech.

  • After the October 7 attacks, Penn leadership distanced itself from the festival, but Troutt Powell remained publicly supportive, contributing to further outrage.

• October 2024 – Palestinian Solidarity Vigil:
  Organized by Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine, Troutt Powell participated despite growing concerns about the group’s extreme rhetoric. She was later named in a student and alumni letter recommending disciplinary action against eight professors for fostering a dangerous campus environment.

• April 26, 2024 – Faculty Walkout:
  As the Penn encampment escalated, Troutt Powell delivered a speech accusing Israel of “scholasticide,” a term intended to cast Israel as a destroyer of education — further escalating inflammatory narratives and deepening divides on campus.

Track Record of Anti-Israel Advocacy

• Middle East Studies Association (MESA):
  Troutt Powell served as President of MESA in 2022, when the organization officially voted to endorse Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) — a campaign widely condemned for its antisemitic underpinnings.

• Her ongoing defense of ideological extremism on campus has contributed to Penn’s decline as a safe, inclusive academic environment. Students and faculty have reported feeling isolated, threatened, and unsupported.

Conclusion: A Betrayal of Academic Responsibility

Eve Troutt Powell has abused her position as a tenured professor to amplify extremist ideologies, dismiss terrorism, and promote divisive narratives that alienate Jewish students. Her participation in lawsuits meant to shield antisemitism from accountability, her open support for the glorification of violence, and her public endorsement of radical events reveal a professor more interested in ideological warfare than education.

This is not a debate over academic freedom — it is a question of institutional integrity and student safety. If UPenn hopes to rebuild trust, protect its students, and stand against hate, it must take decisive action to hold faculty like Eve Troutt Powell accountable.