Middle Eastern Studies Leaders Step Down Following Allegations of Anti-Israel Bias

The resignations of Cemal Kafadar and Rosie Bsheer highlight escalating tensions over academic freedom and external political pressures on universities.

Cemal Kafadar and Rosie Bsheer will leave their leadership roles at Harvard's Center for Middle Eastern Studies by the end of the academic year.
The departures follow heightened scrutiny of alleged anti-Israel bias and antisemitism on campus, particularly after the October 7 Israel-Hamas conflict.
Harvard faculty groups have condemned the resignations as politically motivated, citing pressure from the Trump administration and its focus on ideological diversity.
Former Harvard president Lawrence Summers supported the leadership changes, accusing the center of fostering antisemitism in its programming.
This development aligns with broader administrative shake-ups at elite universities, including Columbia, under federal pressure to address campus antisemitism and ideological concerns.