Nadia Abu-El-Haj has built her academic career not on objective scholarship but on historical distortion, radical activism, and open support for extremism. As a Columbia University professor and co-director of the Center for Palestine Studies, Abu-El-Haj has manipulated archaeology to deny Jewish history, justified Hamas terrorism, and served as a guiding force behind faculty-led radicalization on campus.
Her influence stretches from discredited academic work to leadership in movements that glorify terror, harass Jewish students, and defy institutional integrity.
Distorting History to Erase Jewish Identity
Abu-El-Haj’s efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the Jewish people’s historical connection to Israel began with her 2002 book, Facts on the Ground: Archaeological Practice and Territorial Self-Fashioning in Israeli Society. The book accused Israeli archaeologists of fabricating evidence to support Jewish historical claims in the region—an allegation widely condemned as academically dishonest and ideologically motivated.
Despite serious criticism, she was controversially awarded tenure in 2007, sparking backlash from academic peers who cited antisemitism, poor scholarship, and politicized research methods. Her academic record reflects a deliberate attempt to rewrite history for ideological purposes.
Leading Antisemitic Movements in Academia
Abu-El-Haj has not confined her activism to books. In 2015, she led a campaign at the American Anthropological Association to impose an academic boycott on Israeli institutions—a direct attack on Jewish academic participation under the guise of “solidarity.” While the campaign failed, it confirmed her long-standing role as a central figure in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to delegitimize Israel’s existence.
Supporting Terrorism and Justifying Hamas Atrocities
On October 30, 2023, less than a month after Hamas’s October 7 massacre of over 1,200 Israeli civilians, Abu-El-Haj signed an open letter defending Columbia students who attempted to justify the attacks. The letter described the atrocities as “resistance” and a “military response”—language that mirrors Hamas propaganda.
Her signature on this statement is not a scholarly stance—it is an endorsement of mass murder, hostage-taking, and the glorification of terror.
Faculty Leadership in Columbia’s Pro-Hamas Encampment
Abu-El-Haj was an active participant in Columbia’s pro-Hamas “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” launched on April 17, 2024. The encampment, organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), was marked by antisemitic slogans, physical harassment of Jewish students, and the illegal occupation of campus grounds.
She appeared:
- April 19, 2024: In an Instagram photo at the encampment.
- April 22, 2024: In a Freedom News TV video, wearing a yellow-striped vest as part of a faculty guard.
- May 1, 2024: In an Instagram video, publicly addressing students and condemning NYPD officers for intervening after the violent takeover of Hamilton Hall.
Abu-El-Haj’s role was not symbolic—she helped physically protect and morally legitimize a movement that ultimately barricaded university buildings, vandalized campus property, and held three university workers hostage.
Inciting Hostility Toward Law Enforcement
Rather than calling for accountability, Abu-El-Haj condemned the NYPD’s intervention at Columbia and called for an end to the suspension of students involved in the criminal occupation of Hamilton Hall. Her statements promoted the idea that the rioters were victims rather than perpetrators, further inflaming tensions on campus.
In March 2024, she also appeared at a press conference defending Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student arrested by ICE with direct ties to Hamas—a student Abu-El-Haj supported publicly despite clear national security implications.
She has even equated Israel’s targeting of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to the 9/11 terror attacks, showing her willingness to distort international terrorism through the lens of anti-Israel propaganda.
A Radical Disguised as a Scholar
Nadia Abu-El-Haj has used her position at Columbia not to educate but to radicalize. Her body of work dismisses historical truth in favor of ideological agendas. Her activism defends terror under the guise of resistance. And her presence at Columbia University has emboldened movements that endanger Jewish students, glorify violence, and erode academic credibility.
Columbia must decide whether it will continue to elevate faculty members who distort history, justify terrorism, and fan the flames of antisemitic extremism. Nadia Abu-El-Haj does not belong in the classroom—she belongs in the category of those who abuse scholarship to advance hate.