CUNY removes controversial Palestinian Studies job posting

Zohran Mamdani, a socialist candidate for mayor, joined several other left-leaning politicians in criticizing the City University of New York (CUNY) for retracting a job posting for a "Palestinian Studies" professor. The job description sparked controversy as it was perceived to allow for the promotion of antisemitism. The position, listed at CUNY Hunter College, sought a scholar to explore issues related to Palestine, including topics such as settler colonialism and human rights. Critics argued the posting was inappropriate and compared it to historical instances of antisemitism, prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to demand its removal, which CUNY complied with. Mamdani, along with several state lawmakers, accused CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez of succumbing to pressure and hindering academic freedom. They expressed concerns about a pattern of bias against pro-Palestinian viewpoints at the university. The lawmakers emphasized that the job's subject matter relates to significant global issues and stated that they see no problem with the posting. The group of lawmakers, aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, requested transparency regarding communications between CUNY and the governor’s office about the job posting. They raised questions about the rationale behind deeming the language as “divisive” and called attention to past incidents where pro-Palestinian comments by students had been labeled as hate speech. Recent investigations have highlighted concerns about rising antisemitism at CUNY, leading to calls for systemic changes at the institution. In light of these events, CUNY has not issued a response to the ongoing criticism.