Kathy Engel, a poet and Associate Arts Professor at NYU, leverages her academic position and public platforms to champion anti-Israel activism, promote extremist-aligned narratives, and sanitize violent resistance under the language of art and grief.
While identifying as Jewish and presenting herself as a voice of conscience, Engel repeatedly shares content and participates in events that accuse Israel of genocide and amplify the messaging of radical anti-Zionist organizations.
Actions of Concern:
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Supports FJP (Faculty for Justice in Palestine): Engel follows and reposts content from NYU-FJP, a group that has whitewashed Hamas’s actions and praised disruptive campus encampments.
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“What’s Another Word for Genocide”: A recent poem written by Engel—targeting Israel—used emotionally manipulative language while ignoring the October 7 Hamas massacre entirely.
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MECA Event, 2025: Spoke at a MECA event, an organization often criticized for presenting a one-sided, politicized view of the Israel-Palestine conflict that omits context or terrorism.
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Overcoming Zionism Panelist (2008): Participated in a National Lawyers Guild event under a theme that frames Zionism as an ideology to be dismantled.
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Public Readings Framing Israel as Aggressor: At an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event in 2024, Engel presented “Poems from Palestine”, using a solemn occasion to recast the Jewish state as a genocidal power.
Bottom Line:
Kathy Engel’s poetry and activism may appear humanitarian, but her consistent alignment with anti-Israel rhetoric, endorsement of groups that excuse terror, and erasure of Israeli suffering reveal a deeper agenda. At NYU, she has become a cultural vehicle for politicized messaging that fosters division, not understanding—and helps normalize hostility toward Jewish students under the guise of artistic dissent.
