logo
This Jewish academic shared an anti-Zionist post. She was then fired

This Jewish academic shared an anti-Zionist post. She was then fired

Middle East Eye09-03-2025

Over a year ago in January 2024, Jewish-American academic Maura Finkelstein found herself placed on administrative leave by her institution at the time: Muhlenberg College.
A few months later she was fired, despite having tenure.
The reason? She was told it was because of a post she shared on her Instagram story which heavily condemned Zionism.
Finkelstein joined us on Real Talk to reflect on this experience, what it taught her, and the state of crackdowns by US universities on pro-Palestinian activism.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this
form . More about MEE can be found
here .

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US Secretary of State Rubio terminates all USAID positions abroad: Report
US Secretary of State Rubio terminates all USAID positions abroad: Report

Middle East Eye

time11 hours ago

  • Middle East Eye

US Secretary of State Rubio terminates all USAID positions abroad: Report

By the end of September, there will be no such thing as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), The Guardian reported on Monday, because all of its overseas staff will be terminated. Many, if not most, are local hires who have depended on a USAID salary for years and sometimes decades to support their families. The Guardian attributed the revelation to a State Department cable that it had obtained. It said the chiefs of mission at embassies in more than 100 countries have been notified that a significant overhaul is coming. 'The Department of State is streamlining procedures under National Security Decision Directive 38 to abolish all USAID overseas positions,' the cable said. The State Department and Secretary of State Marco Rubio 'will assume responsibility for foreign assistance programming previously undertaken by USAID' from 15 June, it added. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In early March, Rubio said that US President Donald Trump's purge of the six-decade-old USAID was complete and that 5,200 of its 6,200 programmes had been eliminated. The remaining programmes, he said, would now be administered 'more effectively' under the State Department and in consultation with Congress. The axing of the aid agency was an initiative from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, which aimed to save Washington billions in what it believed was unnecessary spending. Among its earliest finds was what the administration described as $50worth of condoms sent by the US "to Hamas". It was then revealed that it was a programme to prevent sexually transmitted diseases in the rural province of Gaza, Mozambique. Musk departed the administration two weeks ago. Since the Trump administration announced an immediate suspension of all foreign assistance, blocking ongoing aid programmes and freezing new funding, humanitarian workers around the world have been trying to work out exactly what this means for the millions of vulnerable people they are trying to keep alive. Middle East Eye reported on the impact of the initial USAID cuts on 1.8 million Sudanese experiencing famine. Food boxes sent by the US were rotting in warehouses because the agency no longer provided the money needed for the actual distribution. Since 1946, the Middle East and North Africa have been the biggest recipients of US financial assistance. Between April 2023 and April 2024, Congress appropriated around $9bn for the region. While most of the aid went towards military assistance, a fraction was funnelled into democracy programmes via USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy, a quasi-autonomous agency funded largely by the US Congress. MEE reported in May of this year that the Trump cuts to USAID have already impacted human rights defenders in the region who were reliant on the small grants to relocate and resettle abroad. Although modest in scope, the money provided a lifeline for exiled human rights activists.

UK, allies sanction Israeli far-right ministers over Gaza comments
UK, allies sanction Israeli far-right ministers over Gaza comments

Dubai Eye

time15 hours ago

  • Dubai Eye

UK, allies sanction Israeli far-right ministers over Gaza comments

Britain and other allies imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, on Tuesday over "their repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities", the UK's foreign ministry said. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway joined Britain in freezing the assets and imposing travel bans on Israel's national security minister Ben-Gvir - a West Bank settler - and finance minister Smotrich. "Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable," British foreign minister David Lammy, along with the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway said in a joint statement. "This is why we have taken action now to hold those responsible to account." Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said the move was "outrageous" and the government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond to the "unacceptable decision". Smotrich, speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement in the Hebron Hills, spoke of "contempt" for Britain's move. "Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we cannot do it again. We are determined God willing to continue building." Britain, like other European countries, has been increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to end the blockade on aid into Gaza, where international experts have said famine is imminent. In Tuesday's joint statement, allies tried to soften the blow by saying Britain reiterated its commitment to continuing "a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on shared ties, values and commitment to [its] security and future". "We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution," the statement said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store