Columbia Papers

Joseph Howley

Joseph Howley has become one of the most visible academic apologists for Hamas and a key enabler of extremism at Columbia University. As a vocal member of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP-CBT), Howley has participated in radical encampments, signed statements justifying terrorism, and used his faculty status to shield and legitimize pro-Hamas and antisemitic activism on campus. His conduct reflects a broader trend of faculty-driven radicalization that erodes the academic integrity and safety of Columbia. 

Justifying the Hamas Massacres of October 7 

Howley’s most egregious act was signing a public letter on October 30, 2023, that sought to reframe Hamas’s October 7 massacre—where over 1,200 innocent Jews were brutally murdered, raped, and kidnapped—as a “military response” and an expression of “resistance.” The letter, endorsed by several Columbia and Barnard faculty, referred to the attack as “one salvo in an ongoing war” and dismissed it as the natural outcome of “violent and illegal occupation.” 

By using academic language to sanitize terrorism and elevate Hamas’s atrocities as resistance, Howley contributed to a growing intellectual movement that dehumanizes Israeli and Jewish civilians and glorifies terror as legitimate political action. His endorsement of this narrative represents a moral collapse unworthy of any institution committed to truth and human rights. 

Normalizing Terror Support Through Public Writings 

In November 2023, Howley published an op-ed in the Columbia Spectator calling the university’s suspension of SJP and JVP “unjust” and an “infringement on free speech.” He dismissed accusations that these groups used threatening rhetoric, claiming the university acted under donor and political pressure. Howley argued that supporting Palestinian “resistance” should not be equated with antisemitism, and even invoked his Jewish identity to defend these groups and his positions. 

In 2024, he published a broader essay titled “A Year Under the Palestine Exception at Columbia University,” accusing Columbia of suppressing pro-Palestinian voices, caving to political influence, and abandoning its academic values. He blamed the administration for intensifying tensions on campus and claimed that disciplinary measures following October 7 had led to “violent clashes between students and police.” 

Key Dates of Joseph Howley’s Extremist Activity 

Justification of Hamas Terrorism 

Public Rallies & Speeches 

Pro-Hamas Encampment Involvement 

Defending Terror-Linked Students and Attacking ICE 

Howley’s social media activity has grown increasingly inflammatory. He repeatedly defended students arrested by ICE for supporting Hamas, referring to their detentions as “kidnappings” and equating their images with those of Israeli hostages. He posted a propaganda-style image of Rumeysa Ozturk on April 18, mimicking hostage posters used for Israeli victims of Hamas. 

Whitewashing Antisemitism and Inciting Division 

In an interview at the encampment, Howley claimed that accusations of antisemitism are being weaponized to stifle speech. He insisted that the protests are rooted in social justice, not hatred—despite the fact that many were accompanied by antisemitic chants and threats. He accused Columbia of capitulating to Zionist influence and lamented a growing alliance between right-wing and pro-Israel voices, claiming they were silencing dissent. 

Howley has also been directly accused of misrepresenting his role in these protests. On March 18, 2025, a public letter surfaced accusing him of dishonestly downplaying his influence in antisemitic demonstrations. 

A Dangerous Presence in the Classroom 

As an educator, Joseph Howley holds influence over Columbia students at a time when campus tensions are at a breaking point. His public endorsements of terror, defense of groups involved in violence, and propagation of anti-Israel conspiracy theories create a hostile learning environment – particularly for Jewish students. 

Rather than fostering critical inquiry, Howley presents a one-sided ideological narrative that whitewashes atrocities and promotes deeply divisive political movements. Students are not being challenged to think independently; they are being immersed in a worldview that rationalizes violence and demonizes democratic allies. 

Conclusion 

Joseph Howley is not merely a protestor or activist—he is a central figure in the intellectual and physical infrastructure that has allowed extremism to fester at Columbia. From authoring essays that justify Hamas to showing up in person at illegal occupations and vigils for terror-linked students, he consistently uses his academic position to advance pro-terror, anti-Israel, and antisemitic causes. 

By continuing to employ Howley, Columbia signals to its students, donors, and the public that it will tolerate—and even protect—faculty who glorify terrorism and radicalize the next generation. Howley’s actions have endangered students, undermined university policies, and lent the university’s credibility to movements that openly call for the destruction of Israel and the silencing of Jewish voices.