Helga Tawil-Souri, a professor at NYU and an active member of Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP), has a long history of spreading anti-Semitic rhetoric, promoting economic and academic warfare, and justifying extremist ideologies under the guise of scholarship. From leading campus disruptions to endorsing radical boycotts, Tawil-Souri has consistently positioned herself as a mouthpiece for dangerous narratives.
Radical Campus Activism
Tawil-Souri has used her position at NYU to push extremist agendas, directly contributing to hostility on campus:
- 2024: She actively participated in illegal pro-Palestinian encampments at NYU, which led to disorder and safety concerns.
- 2017: She moderated an NYU panel promoting the book Assuming Boycott: Resistance, Agency and Cultural Production, which framed economic warfare against Israel as “an effective and moral lever for civil rights.”
Spreading Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories
Tawil-Souri’s work consistently demonizes Jews and promotes conspiratorial narratives aimed at delegitimizing their self-determination:
- 2024: In an interview following the release of her book Producing Palestine, she accused her opposition of “genocide,” a term meant to distort reality and fuel hostility.
- 2024: She further accused her opponents of “destruction of media, killing of journalists, censorship, and obfuscation of Palestinian voices,” echoing dangerous anti-Semitic tropes of media control and suppression.
- 2018: In an interview for Fair Observer, she outright denied any security threats faced by Israel, dismissing terrorism as a fabricated excuse for “aggressive policies.”
Promoting Economic and Cultural Warfare
Tawil-Souri has been a longtime supporter of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), an economic warfare movement aimed at cutting off Jewish institutions and businesses:
- 2021: She signed a letter from the Faculty of Color for an Anti-Racist NYU calling for a full boycott of NYU Tel Aviv, accusing it of apartheid.
- 2017: She publicly promoted cultural boycotts, endorsing efforts to isolate Jewish artists, academics, and businesses.
Justifying Terrorism and Violence
Tawil-Souri’s work is littered with language excusing violent uprisings and terrorism:
- 2014: She co-authored a paper titled “Intifada 3.0? Cyber Colonialism and Palestinian Resistance,” in which she framed violent uprisings as “resistance” while repeatedly accusing her opposition of colonialism.
- By repeatedly endorsing intifada rhetoric, she glorifies historical waves of violence, suicide bombings, and attacks on civilians.
A Disturbance on Campus
Tawil-Souri has weaponized academia to spread extremism, promote anti-Semitic conspiracies, and push for the erasure of Jewish presence through boycotts and delegitimization. Her influence at NYU raises concerns about the radicalization of students and the spread of divisive, dangerous ideologies within higher education.
