Anti-Israel prof who compared Israel to Nazi Germany denied tenure, calls it 'political hit job'
An anti-Israel activist and Northwestern assistant professor says he was denied tenure and his employment will end after next year because of his anti-Israel activism.
Medill School of Journalism Assistant Professor Steven Thrasher posted a statement on Thursday slamming the institution's decision.
An anti-Israel activist and Northwestern University assistant professor says he was denied tenure and his employment will end after next year because of his pro-Palestinian activism.
Assistant Professor Steven Thrasher at the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism in Illinois posted a statement on Thursday slamming the institution’s decision.
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”This has nothing to do with my scholarship or teaching,” he writes. “It is a political hit job over my support for Palestine and for trying to protect our student protesters last year from physical attack, by nonviolently subjecting my own body to assault by the Northwestern Police instead of our students.”
Campus Reform previously reported on Thrasher, including his past remarks comparing Israel to Nazi Germany. In September, he told Democracy Now! that he had been suspended by the university after his involvement in an anti-Israel campus encampment in the spring.
In his latest statement, Thrasher said he would continue to embrace anti-Israel causes, such as supporting anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil, whom the Trump administration is seeking to deport.
”I still stand with our brave student protesters, Mahmoud Khalil, and the more than 200 Palestinian journalists who have been murdered in Gaza,” Thrasher says. “If people like Mahmoud and me cannot express dissent on campus about matters of life and death without fear of reprisal, then university campuses are less than useless; they are the front lines of fascism.”
”I will appeal this decision at Northwestern and have much more to say,” he concludes.
According to his university biography, Thrasher also serves as the Daniel H. Renberg Chair of social justice. He also focuses on topics such as “marginalized populations,” “international histories of LGBTQ and gender identities,” Critical Race Theory, policing and “queer methods.”
Campus Reform has reacher out to Northwestern and Thrasher for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.