Nadia Abu-El-Haj, a Columbia University Anthropology professor and co-Director of the Center for Palestine Studies, has long been a controversial figure known for promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, glorifying terrorism, and fostering campus extremism. From manipulating historical facts to justifying Hamas’s atrocities, her academic career is defined by distortion, activism, and incitement. Her leadership in radical campus movements, including the Columbia Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, has cemented her role as a propagandist rather than an educator.

Distorting History to Erase Jewish Identity

1. Manipulating Archaeology to Undermine Jewish History

• In 2002, Abu-El-Haj published Facts on the Ground: Archaeological Practice and Territorial Self-Fashioning in Israeli Society, a book filled with questionable research and outright distortions, implying that archaeologists fabricated evidence of Jewish history in the region.
• Her work was widely criticized for bad scholarship, leading to a major controversy in 2007 when she was granted tenure despite serious allegations of academic dishonesty and antisemitic bias.

2. Pushing Anti-Jewish Conspiracies in Academia

• In 2015, she led a failed campaign at the American Anthropological Association (AAA) to boycott Israeli academic institutions, further showing her commitment to erasing Jewish legitimacy under the guise of scholarship.

Active Support for Terrorism and Campus Extremism

3. Defending Hamas and Justifying Massacres

• On October 30, 2023, Abu-El-Haj signed an open letter defending Columbia students who justified Hamas’s October 7th massacres, where over 1,200 civilians were murdered, hundreds were kidnapped, and countless others were brutalized.
• Her endorsement of this letter is a direct alignment with the glorification of terrorism and mass murder.

4. Faculty Leader of Columbia’s Radical Encampment

• On April 17, 2024, Columbia University became the epicenter of radicalism with the establishment of a pro-Hamas “Gaza Solidarity Encampment”.
• Jewish students were harassed, called slurs, and physically blocked from entering campus facilities, while the encampment promoted BDS and violent rhetoric against Jews.
• Abu-El-Haj was reportedly an active participant and faculty guard for the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) encampment.

5. Public Incitement Against Law Enforcement

• On May 1, 2024, she appeared in an Instagram video condemning the NYPD for their response to the violent student takeover of Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, where activists barricaded themselves inside, destroyed property, and held university workers hostage.
• Abu-El-Haj portrayed violent agitators as victims, calling for an end to suspensions and legal consequences for rioters.

A Professor Unfit for Academia, Unfit for Leadership

Nadia Abu-El-Haj has abused her academic position to spread propaganda, justify terrorism, and encourage extremism. Her history of academic dishonesty, antisemitic distortions, and campus radicalization makes her a dangerous influence in higher education. Rather than promoting intellectual debate, she has turned Columbia University into a breeding ground for extremist ideology, hatred, and division. A professor like Abu-El-Haj does not belong in an institution of learning—she belongs in the ranks of agitators, not academics.