31.12.25
Editorial Note
In August 2023, two months before the Hamas attack against Israel, Academics for Peace, a U.S.-based network of scholars concerned with the Israel–Palestinian conflict, published a petition titled “The Elephant in the Room.” IAM published a post on this, titled “Anti-Israel Israeli Academics Blame Israel for Palestinian Failures.”
Academics for Peace positions itself as an academic advocacy group. Its website offers “Evidence-driven academic work on Palestine-Israel for peace” by college professors who explain the Middle East. Jewish, Israeli, and other scholars who claim to “recognize the right of all people between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea to self-determination and full equality. We speak out against genocide, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing.” Their mission is to “help academics shift public opinion on Israel/Palestine, by sharing their expertise more than ever before.”
Academics for Peace argues that existing diplomatic frameworks have failed to address the structural inequalities that underpin the conflict. Through public statements and petitions, the network seeks to influence public discourse by foregrounding issues such as occupation, settler colonialism, human rights, and international law. Although the website strongly emphasized its use of empirical research, its publications of short videos and online petitions contain little empirical research.
The ”Elephant in the Room” reflects this methodology. The scholars found a “direct link between Israel’s recent attack on the judiciary and its illegal occupation of millions of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Palestinian people lack almost all basic rights, including the right to vote and protest. They face constant violence: this year alone, Israeli forces have killed over 190 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and demolished over 590 structures.”
The petition demanded “equal rights for all,” and claimed that the “Palestinians live under a regime of apartheid.” They claimed that the “ultimate purpose of the judicial overhaul is to tighten restrictions on Gaza, deprive Palestinians of equal rights both beyond the Green Line and within it, annex more land, and ethnically cleanse all territories under Israeli rule of their Palestinian population.”
Moreover, the petition argues, “Jewish supremacism has been growing for years and was enshrined in law by the 2018 Nation State Law.” According to the petition, Israel’s “long-standing occupation… has yielded a regime of apartheid. As Israel has grown more right-wing and come under the spell of the current government’s messianic, homophobic, and misogynistic agenda, young American Jews have grown more and more alienated from it.” They call “to embrace equality for Jews and Palestinians within the Green Line and in the OPT. Support human rights organizations which defend Palestinians and provide real-time information on the lived reality of occupation and apartheid.”
The petition demanded to “end the occupation, restrict American military aid from being used in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and end Israeli impunity in the UN and other international organizations.”
Academic for Peace claims to “recognize the right of all people between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea to self-determination and full equality. We speak out against genocide, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing.” Their mission is to “help academics shift public opinion on Israel/Palestine, by sharing their expertise more than ever before. Scholars are uniquely skilled to educate the public; when they are committed to justice and equality for all Palestinians and Jews.”
The group argued in August 2023, “amid the Israeli government’s judicial overhaul. As hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets to defend democracy, we called attention to the ‘Elephant in the Room’ – the reality that for millions of Palestinians, there was no democracy at all. Three other petitions followed, signed by thousands of academics, Nobel Prize winners, and Pulitzer awardees. Starting June 2024, we turned to social media, where we’ve been growing ever since. Our academics explain Palestine/Israel, past and present, in 90-second segments.”
The group has been producing numerous short videos attacking Israel, including by Israeli academics and American Jewish academics, who are used as “legitimizers” – actors whose identity, status, or perceived authority confers moral, intellectual, or political credibility on a cause beyond what its core proponents could achieve alone. They do not necessarily originate the movement’s arguments; rather, they validate, normalize, and amplify them in wider arenas—media, legal forums, and policymaking circles.
The following is a partial list of the videos illustrating the scope of their advocacy.
“The Genocide Isn’t Over” – Dr. Raz Segal (Stockton University) “Indoctrinating Israeli Children” – Dr. Daniel Bar-Tal (Tel Aviv University) “Reading Holocaust Literature After Gaza” – Dr. Neta Stahl “Why I Stopped Being A Zionist” – Dr. Hasia Diner (State University of New York at Buffalo) “What Israelis Don’t Get About Oct 7” – Dr. Avi-ram Tzoreff (The Open University of Israel) “Palestinian Bodies” – Rachel Beitarie (Writer & Former Head of Zochrot) “Yes, The Starvation Was Intentional” – Drs. Liat Kozma & Lee Mordechai (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Israeli Amnesia” – Dr. Lee Mordechai (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Israelis Decolonize, It’s Not That Scary” – Dr. Tamir Sorek (Penn State) “Is Zionism A Settler Colonial Project?” – Dr. Tamir Sorek (Penn State) “Israeli Teacher Breaks Silence” – Dr. Meir Baruchin (Civics Teacher) “Palestinian Return Is A Must” – Dr. Tom Pessah (Israeli Sociologist) “Why Does The U.S.Support Israel” – Dr. Eran Zelnik (California State University, Chico) “Settler Violence = State Violence” – Dr. Lee Mordechai (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Erasing Palestinian Culture” – Maya Rosen (Jewish Currents) “Tump’s Peace Plan Isn’t Enough” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “Al-Lyd: Story Of A Palestinian City” – Dr. Norma Musih (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Israel’s “Manage The Conflict” Strategy” – Dr. Lior Sternfeld (Penn State) “What Can Dogs Teach Us About What Is Happening In Gaza?” – Drs. On Barak & Irus Braverman (Tel Aviv University and SUNY Buffalo) “How The Israel Lobby Distorts Ancient Israel” – Dr. Ron Naiweld (CNRS & EHESS) “The ‘Humanitarian City'” – Dr. Shmuel Lederman (The Open University of Israel) “Meet The 18th West Bank Minor Killed This Year” – Dr. Anat Matar (Tel Aviv University) “Settler Violence” – Dr. Yigal Bronner (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “40 College Profs: Stop Starving Gaza” “Not All Israelis Agree: The Story Of Rebb Binyamin” – Dr. Avi-ram Tzoreff (The Open University of Israel) “How Israel Cleansed West Bank Village Overnight” – Dr. Yigal Bronner (Hebrew University of Jerusalem). This is just a short sample.
As IAM has stated before, these claims follow the methodology of radical anti-Israeli advocacy. The various assertions are presented as uncontested facts, without reference to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority. The group blames Israel for “its illegal occupation of millions of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Palestinian people lack almost all basic rights, including the right to vote and protest.” and for “Palestinians live under a regime of apartheid.” They even charge the current Israeli government for promoting a “homophobic, and misogynistic agenda,” a bold lie given that Israel has very liberal laws regarding homosexuals and women hold a significant role in the public domain and the economy. Ironically, in the Palestinian society, especially in the Gaza Strip controlled by Hamas, homosexuality is criminalized, and women have minimal representation in public life.
More to the point, peace processes depend on an accurate diagnosis of why violence persists. A one-sided critique that assigns near-exclusive responsibility to Israel tends to downplay the role of Hamas and other armed groups that reject compromise and ignore the role of Iran, which successfully strived to sabotage the Oslo peace process and continuously arm Hamas.
Scholars for Peace should note that their radical critique of Israel encourages hardline Palestinian factions and legitimizes their demands of “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free.”
This is not a peace initiative. It is a one-sided political campaign.
REFERENCES:
“The Genocide Isn’t Over” – Dr. Raz Segal (Stockton University) “Indoctrinating Israeli Children” – Dr. Daniel Bar-Tal (Tel Aviv University) “Reading Holocaust Literature After Gaza” – Dr. Neta Stahl “Why I Stopped Being A Zionist” – Dr. Hasia Diner (State University of New York at Buffalo) “What Israelis Don’t Get About Oct 7” – Dr. Avi-ram Tzoreff (The Open University of Israel) “Palestinian Bodies” – Rachel Beitarie (Writer & Former Head of Zochrot) “Yes, The Starvation Was Intentional” – Drs. Liat Kozma & Lee Mordechai (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Israeli Amnesia” – Dr. Lee Mordechai (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Israelis Decolonize, It’s Not That Scary” – Dr. Tamir Sorek (Penn State) “Is Zionism A Settler Colonial Project?” – Dr. Tamir Sorek (Penn State) “Israeli Teacher Breaks Silence” – Dr. Meir Baruchin (Civics Teacher) “Palestinian Return Is A Must” – Dr. Tom Pessah (Israeli Sociologist) “Why Does The U.S.Support Israel” – Dr. Eran Zelnik (California State University, Chico) “Settler Violence = State Violence” – Dr. Lee Mordechai (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Erasing Palestinian Culture” – Maya Rosen (Jewish Currents) “Tump’s Peace Plan Isn’t Enough” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “Al-Lyd: Story Of A Palestinian City” – Dr. Norma Musih (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Israel’s “Manage The Conflict” Strategy” – Dr. Lior Sternfeld (Penn State) “What Can Dogs Teach Us About What Is Happening In Gaza?” – Drs. On Barak & Irus Braverman (Tel Aviv University and SUNY Buffalo) “How The Israel Lobby Distorts Ancient Israel” – Dr. Ron Naiweld (CNRS & EHESS) “The ‘Humanitarian City'” – Dr. Shmuel Lederman (The Open University of Israel) “Meet The 18th West Bank Minor Killed This Year” – Dr. Anat Matar (Tel Aviv University) “Settler Violence” – Dr. Yigal Bronner (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “40 College Profs: Stop Starving Gaza” “Not All Israelis Agree: The Story Of Rebb Binyamin” – Dr. Avi-ram Tzoreff (The Open University of Israel) “How Israel Cleansed West Bank Village Overnight” – Dr. Yigal Bronner (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Jewish Supremacy & Ayman Odeh” – Dr. Orian Zakai (George Washington University) “What Is The ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation'” – Dr. Amos Goldberg (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Is Terrorism A Useful Term?” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “Birthright Is Propaganda” – Dr. Hasia Diner (New York University) “1300 Israeli Academics Say No To War Crimes” – Dr. Ayelet Ben-Yishai (University of Haifa) “Genocidal Rhetoric In Israel” – Dr. Tamir Sorek (Penn State University) “War On Iran: Self-Defense?” – Dr. Mira Sucharov (Carleton University) “Why Queers Support Palestine” – Dr. Orian Zakai (George Washington University) “Has Israel Committed Scholasticide?” – Dr. Dorit Naaman (Queen’s University) Dr. Nitzan Lebovic (Lehigh University); “The Antisemitism Awareness Act: Absurd and Dangerous” – Dr. Ian Lustick (University of Pennsylvania) “The Complicity of Israeli Academia” – Dr. Anat Matar (Tel Aviv University) “Support Academics for Peace” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “The Antisemitism Awareness Act and Antiracism” – Dr. Ian Lustick (University of Pennsylvania) “Israeli Students in the U.S.: No Deportation, No Genocide” – Keren Assaf (University of New Mexico); Amos Laor (Columbia University); Eden Mastriani-Levi (Queens College); Roni (The New School); Tamar Sella (Harvard University); Hani’el Mastriani-Levi (Queens College) “Holocaust Scholars Defy Flawed Antisemitism Definition” – Dr. Tamir Sorek (Penn State University); “30 Jewish Scholars Defy Flawed Antisemitism Definition” – Dr. Raz Segal (Stockton University); Dr. Atalia Omer (University of Notre Dame); Dr. Penny Rosenwasser (Jewish Voice for Peace); Dr. Judith Butler (UC Berkeley); Dr. Nitzan Lebovic (Lehigh University) “Why Israelis Are Not Refugees” – Dr. Ian Lustick (University of Pennsylvania) “Why the 1947 Partition Plan was Doomed From the Start” – Dr. Noa Shaindlinger (Worcester State University) “Palestinians are the Canary in the Coal Mine” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “So You Think Israel Isn’t Occupying Palestine?” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “Authoritarianism is Coming. Are You Ready?” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “Mahmoud Khalil’s Case Is a Warning” – Dr. Amit Prakash (Middlebury College) “‘Never again’ means never again for anyone” – Dr. Naftali Kaminski (Yale School of Medicine) “Jewish Supremacy in Israel” – Dr. David N. Myers (University of California, Los Angeles) “Coexistence in Palestine before 1948” – Dr. Dorit Naaman (Queen’s University) “Why I Work to End the Occupation” – Dr. Itay Snir (Yezre’el Valley Academic College) “Can Israel Stop Killing Palestinians?” – Dr. Revital Madar (European University Institute) “Beware Project Esther, It’s Weaponizing Antisemitism Claims” – Dr. Atalia Omer (University of Notre Dame) “Trump’s Plan for Gaza is Catastrophic” – Dr. Ian Lustick (University of Pennsylvania) “Weaponizing Antisemitism on U.S. Campuses” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “How October 7 Divided Holocaust – Dr. Shira Klein (Chapman University) “The Holocaust and Israel/Palestine” – Dr. Shira Klein (Chapman University) “Decolonization with a human face” – Dr. Isaac (Yanni) Nevo (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) “Why so many Israeli Jews think God gave them the Land of Israel” – Dr. Ron Naiweld (CNRS & EHESS) “Asking Questions about Israel is Not Jew Hatred” – Dr. Ian Lustick (University of Pennsylvania) “Are you sure you’re a Zionist?” – Dr. Mira Sucharov (Carleton University) “Book Corner: The Rebel’s Clinic” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “Phone TODAY to block IHRA bill” – Dr. Raz Segal (Stockton University) “The Origins of Binationalism” – Dr. Avi-ram Tzoreff (The Open University of Israel) “How Do American Jews See Israel?” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “The Dangers of the Antisemitism Awareness Act” – Peter Beinart (Newmark School of Journalism, CUNY) “Nazareth: The City that Survived the Nakba” – Dr. Leena Dallasheh “Non-Zionist Jews in History: Part 3 of 3” – Dr. Hasia Diner (New York University) “Non-Zionist Jews in History: Part 2 of 3” – Dr. Hasia Diner (New York University) “Non-Zionist Jews in History: Part 1 of 3” – Dr. Hasia Diner (New York University) “How Israel twists antisemitism claims” – Dr. Amos Goldberg (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) “Right-Wing Tactics of Zionist Orgs” – Dr. Emmaia Gelman (Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism) “Israel’s Ultimate Delusion” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “Israel isn’t above international law” – Dr. Karin Loevy (New York University) “Bernie’s Bill to Limit Arms Sales to Israel” – Peter Beinart (Newmark School of Journalism, CUNY) “Jewish Divide Intensifies” – Peter Beinart (Newmark School of Journalism, CUNY) “Support Academics for Peace” – Dr. Shira Klein (Chapman University) “The US’ Blank Check to Israel” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “The Tragedy and Failure of Israeli Military Strategy” – Peter Beinart (Newmark School of Journalism, CUNY) “Does International Law Mean Anything?” – Peter Beinart (Newmark School of Journalism, CUNY) “The Transformation of American Jewish Politics” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “Zionism: Reality vs. Fantasy” – Peter Beinart (Newmark School of Journalism, CUNY) “Book Corner: Colonizing Palestine” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “Trump and Israel” – Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan (University of Oregon) “How Trump’s ‘Abraham Accords’ trampled Palestinians” – Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan (University of Oregon) “How Trump’s foreign policy undermined Palestine ” – Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan (University of Oregon) “Trump’s Support of Israel” – Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan (University of Oregon) “Israel is not a democracy” – Ta-Nehisi Coates and Peter Beinart (Newmark School of Journalism, CUNY) “Why won’t Netanyahu agree to a ceasefire?” – Dr. Omer Bartov (Brown University) “Did God really give Jews the land of Israel?” – Dr. Ron Naiweld (CNRS & EHESS) “Blurring the boundaries of the Oslo Accords” – Dr. Yael Berda (Hebrew University) “How Israel discriminates in land and housing” – Dr. Leena Dallasheh “How Israel gives privileges to its Jewish Citizens” – Dr. Leena Dallasheh “Israel’s infamous Law of Return” – Dr. Leena Dallasheh “Land grab in the West Bank” – Dr. Yael Berda (Hebrew University) “How to decolonize Israel humanely” – Dr. Tamir Sorek (Penn State University) “The Anniversary of October 7, 2023” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “The impact of the B’Tselem Report” – Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan (University of Oregon) “B’Tselem Report: Welcome to Hell” – Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan (University of Oregon) “B’Tselem Report: torture of Palestinian detainees” – Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan (University of Oregon) “Colonial settlement expansion on steroids” – Dr. Yael Berda (Hebrew University) “Israel’s Wild West: illegal outposts in the West Bank” – Allon Cohen-Lifshits (Architect at Bimkom – Planning and Human Rights) “Israel’s annexation strategy” – Dr. Yael Berda (Hebrew University) “Is Israel committing genocide?” – Dr. Raz Segal (Stockton University) “Is Israel torturing Palestinian prisoners?” – Oneg Ben Dror (Physicians for Human Rights Israel) “What is the right of return?” – Dr. Noa Shaindlinger (Worcester State University) “American Jews’ unquestioning support of Israel” – Dr. Hasia Diner (New York University) “The Historical and Ongoing Nakba” – Dr. Leena Dallasheh “Who’s afraid of campus protests?” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “Israel’s cruel legal tool of administrative detention” – Dr. Anat Matar (Tel Aviv University) “Shhh… Israel is annexing the West Bank” – Michael Sfard (Israeli Human Rights Lawyer) “How 400+ Palestinian villages vanished” – Noga Kadman (Israeli human rights researcher & tour guide) “Are Israeli settlements an obstacle to peace?” – Dr. Oren Yiftachel (Ben Gurion University of the Negev) “History of Hamas in 90 seconds (2006-2023)” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “History of Hamas in 90 seconds (1973-2006)” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “Should Israel’s Jews ‘go back where they came from’?” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “Enough with the myth of equality in Israel” – Dr. Leena Dallasheh “How Israel weaponizes antisemitism” – Dr. Raz Segal (Stockton University) “How Israel stole Palestinians’ cultural heritage” – Dr. Shay Hazkani (University of Maryland) “Does Israel have borders?” – Dr. Oren Yiftachel (Ben Gurion University of the Negev) “Israel’s 10,000 political prisoners” – Dr. Anat Matar (Tel Aviv University) “So the ICJ ruling happened. What now?” – Michael Sfard (Israeli Human Rights Lawyer) “Is the IDF the most moral army in the world?” – Dr. Omer Bartov (Brown University) “What is Zionism? (Part 2)” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “What is Zionism? (Part 1)” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “So you think Palestinian Arabs in Israel enjoy complete equality?” – Dr. Leena Dallasheh “What did the ICJ decide?” – Dr. Karin Loevy (New York University) “What will tomorrow’s ICJ decision mean for Israel?” – Dr. Karin Loevy (New York University) “Will the ICJ say Israel’s occupation is illegal?” – Dr. Karin Loevy (New York University) “The Nakba in Jaffa” – Dr. Noa Shaindlinger (Worcester State University) “How Israel detains Palestinians” – Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan (University of Oregon) “What antisemitism is and isn’t” – Dr. Frances Tanzer (Clark University) “Is Israel an ethnocracy?” – Dr. Oren Yiftachel (Ben Gurion University of the Negev) “What is ‘From the River to the Sea’?” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “Is Israel committing apartheid?” – Michael Sfard (Israeli Human Rights Lawyer) “The 1956 invasion of Gaza” – Dr. Noa Shaindlinger (Worcester State University) “Is Israel a democracy?” – Dr. Tamir Sorek (Penn State University) “Palestinian resistance in Gaza” – Dr. Joel Beinin (Stanford University) “What does intifada mean?” – Dr. Zachary Lockman (New York University) “Is Israel becoming fascist?” – Dr. Shira Klein (Chapman University) “A history of antisemitism” – Dr. Nitzan Lebovic (Lehigh University).
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Academics for Peace
We are a group of Palestinian, Jewish, and other scholars who recognize the right of all people between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea to self-determination and full equality. We speak out against genocide, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing.
Our mission: We help academics shift public opinion on Israel/Palestine, by sharing their expertise more than ever before.
Scholars are uniquely skilled to educate the public; when they are committed to justice and equality for all Palestinians and Jews, their potential for shaping public opinion is vast. We bring academics to social media, through short-form videos. One viral video at a time, we are moving the needle.
How did we start? We began our organizing in August 2023, amid the Israeli government’s judicial overhaul. As hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets to defend democracy, we called attention to the “Elephant in the Room” – the reality that for millions of Palestinians, there was no democracy at all. Three other petitions followed, signed by thousands of academics, Nobel Prize winners, and Pulitzer awardees. Starting June 2024, we turned to social media, where we’ve been growing ever since. Our academics explain Palestine/Israel, past and present, in 90-second segments.
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Daniel Bar Tal
Are Israeli children being taught peace—or prepared for permanent conflict? Prof. Daniel Bar-Tal (Tel Aviv University) breaks down how education, holidays, and national narratives socialize children to normalize violence and dehumanize the “enemy,” and why he argues education for peace and equality is urgently needed. Comments promoting violence or vulgarity will be deleted.
Tamir Sorek
Is Zionism a form of settler colonialism—and what would decolonization actually look like? Prof. Tamir Sorek (Penn State University) breaks down how Zionism fits the settler-colonial model while arguing that a humane decolonization does not require Israeli Jews to leave.
Lee Mordechai
Is a chilling, collective amnesia taking hold in Israel? Prof. Lee Mordechai (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) breaks down how Israeli society—led by its liberal elites—is rushing to restore a pre-war “status quo” by erasing Gaza’s suffering from public consciousness. He explains how media, academia, and even the Supreme Court have helped normalize this forgetting, allowing stories of abuse, starvation, and civilian deaths to quietly disappear.
israel-academia-monitor.com 