Joseph Massad is not just a tenured professor at Columbia University—he is a symbol of how deeply embedded pro-terror ideologies have become in elite academia. For years, Massad has used his position to openly support Hamas, glorify terrorism, spread antisemitic narratives, and revise Jewish history. What’s most alarming is the credibility and platform Columbia continues to grant him—despite decades of controversy, formal investigations, and public outcry.
His Role at Columbia University
As a long-time fixture at Columbia’s Middle East Institute, Massad has leveraged his authority and tenure to shape an academic environment that promotes extremist narratives under the cover of scholarship. His lectures routinely cross the line from political critique into outright indoctrination—using his course materials, talks, and public appearances to normalize violent resistance and delegitimize Israel’s existence.
Massad is not a fringe figure. He is deeply embedded in Columbia’s academic structure and participates actively in the university’s pro-Palestinian events, rallies, and panel discussions. Far from offering balanced analysis, his commentary inflames tensions and promotes a one-sided worldview that validates terrorism as a legitimate form of resistance. The result is a hostile environment for students—particularly Jewish students—who are forced to navigate classrooms where terrorism is defended and Jews were demonized.
Pro-Hamas Stance and Support for Terrorism
Massad’s allegiance to Hamas is unambiguous. He has repeatedly rejected Hamas’ designation as a terrorist organization, instead portraying the group as a heroic resistance movement. In doing so, he has dismissed the horrific acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas—including mass murder, rape, and kidnapping—as legitimate political action.
- November 2023 – On a radical leftist podcast, Massad claimed:
“Hamas is not a terrorist organization. It is a liberation movement. What Israel does is terrorism; Hamas fights for freedom.”
- October 2023 – Just days after the October 7 massacre, Massad posted:
“The resistance against the settler-colonial state is a righteous struggle, and Hamas is at the forefront of this fight for liberation.”
- January 2024 – In an interview, Massad declared:
“I stand with Hamas and its resistance, absolutely. It is the only true resistance against the Zionist occupation.”
These statements are not academic analysis—they are ideological declarations that legitimize terrorism and encourage the rejection of peaceful resolution.
Glorification of Terrorists
Massad’s radicalism extends to the individuals behind acts of mass violence. He has publicly praised known terrorists and figures responsible for some of the most brutal attacks in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- December 2023 – Massad honored Abu Jihad, the orchestrator of the 1978 Coastal Road Massacre, in which 37 civilians—including 12 children—were murdered. He called him a “hero of the Palestinian revolution.”
- October 2023 – He published an article praising Hezbollah, another U.S.-designated terrorist group, describing its actions as “an essential part of the resistance against imperialism and Zionism.”
Massad’s admiration for these groups is not theoretical—it actively rebrands terrorists as freedom fighters, encouraging students to adopt the same ideological framework.
Antisemitism and Holocaust Revisionism
Massad has built much of his academic reputation on the revision and distortion of Jewish history. His writings and lectures frequently advance antisemitic tropes, including the denial of Jewish identity, the erasure of Jewish suffering, and the accusation that Jews themselves are responsible for antisemitism.
- In his 2013 article The Last of the Semites, Massad accused Zionists of collaborating with Nazis and suggested that Israel’s founding was based on exploiting Holocaust trauma. He described Zionism as a continuation of “Nazi policies”—a grotesque and deeply offensive comparison.
- He has denied the Jewish connection to Israel, claiming Jews are merely “European converts,” and has called Zionism a “Christian colonial enterprise.”
- He has even gone so far as to argue that Palestinians are the real Semites, a claim that erases Jewish identity and rewrites history to serve a political narrative.
These are not isolated incidents—they are central to his academic work, forming the basis for his denial of Israel’s legitimacy and his justification of its destruction.
Denial of Jewish History
Massad’s worldview hinges on the false premise that Israel has no historical legitimacy. He routinely denies the long-standing Jewish connection to the land of Israel and dismisses Jewish indigeneity as colonial myth.
- January 2024 – In a Columbia lecture, he stated:
“Zionism is not a national liberation movement; it is an imperialist, settler-colonial project that has nothing to do with the real history of the Jewish people.”
- February 2024 – At a university panel:
“The Israeli state was founded on lies and historical fabrications… It is an apartheid state that exists through the displacement and violence against Palestinians.”
By framing Israel as a fraudulent creation, Massad provides the intellectual justification for Hamas’ goal of its eradication.
Professional Controversies and Campus Impact
Massad’s controversial behavior is not new. He has been the subject of major investigations and complaints throughout his academic career.
- 2004 Columbia Investigation – Massad was investigated for allegedly intimidating Jewish students in his classroom and silencing dissent. Students reported verbal abuse and open hostility toward pro-Israel perspectives.
- Second Intifada Rally – Massad once cancelled class to lead an anti-Israel rally, where he referred to Israel as a “racist state” and called for its dismantlement.
- He has regularly used extremist platforms like Electronic Intifada to push inflammatory rhetoric that vilifies Jewish identity, history, and the State of Israel.
The damage Massad inflicts extends beyond the classroom. His rhetoric poisons the educational environment and promotes a culture of fear, ideological conformity, and open antisemitism.
Joseph Massad is not just an academic with radical views—he is a danger to students, to Jewish safety on campus, and to the values of higher education. His unapologetic support for Hamas, glorification of terrorism, distortion of Jewish history, and encouragement of ideological extremism are incompatible with the responsibilities of a professor at any institution—let alone one of the nation’s top universities.