Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor Emeritus of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, announced he is withdrawing from teaching his fall course in protest of the university’s $200 million settlement with former President Donald Trump, who accused the institution of failing to protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian protests.
The settlement, part of a broader agreement with Trump, comes as Columbia also agreed to pay $21 million to resolve federal investigations into discrimination and end race-conscious admissions and hiring practices. Khalidi, a leading scholar of Middle Eastern history, blasted the deal as an endorsement of values that shield Israel from criticism while it wages a deadly assault on Gaza.
“The university’s draconian policies and new definition of antisemitism make much teaching impossible,” Khalidi wrote in The Guardian. He argued that Columbia has embraced principles “dear to people who want to protect Israel from criticism at all costs while it slaughters people by the hundreds daily.”
The controversy stems from months of campus unrest over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia drew national attention, with Trump and other conservatives accusing the university of tolerating antisemitism. The $200 million settlement—one of the largest of its kind—resolves legal threats from the Trump-affiliated plaintiffs.
Related: Columbia Cracks Down on Pro-Palestine Protesters
Khalidi’s departure highlights growing tensions over academic freedom, as universities face pressure to align with politically charged definitions of antisemitism that critics say conflate opposition to Israel with bigotry. Columbia has not yet commented on his withdrawal, but the move signals deepening divisions within the Ivy League institution.