U.S. academic temporarily suspended for praising 7 October incidents in Israel-Palestine conflict as thrilling
In a controversial move, leading American political theorist Jodi Dean has been placed on leave from her teaching position at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS). The decision comes following an essay Dean wrote, discussing the Hamas-led breakout of Gaza on 7 October and its broader implications.
In her essay, Dean described the images of paragliders soaring over the fence separating southern Israel from the Gaza Strip as "exhilarating." She also argued that higher education institutions, including HWS, are part of the imperial system that maintains US support for Israel.
The university called Dean into Gearan's office and read out a statement informing her that she was on leave pending an investigation. Four days after publishing her essay, an online campaign against Dean began to gain momentum. The incident has had a chilling effect on faculty and students at the New York university.
Academics and scholars have expressed concern over the incident, stating that seeing a tenured member of faculty being singled out and targeted sets a new precedent. Paul Passavant, a professor of politics at HWS, has stated that the incident violates academic freedom and the integrity of the institution as an academic institution.
The university has stated that it has an obligation under federal anti-discrimination laws, including Title VI, to take action when a hostile environment based on national origin is present. However, the specific details surrounding Dean's removal remain unclear, as there are no publicly available documents or credible reports that provide evidence or detail about this incident.
Dean's essay also examined how students, faculty, and writers were being told how to think, feel, and process the events of 7 October. She believes the inability to recognize the courage and purposefulness of the resistance is a hindrance to developing sufficient solidarity in the US against the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
Dean described the politics of feeling as important to this moment and noted the irony of being disciplined for daring to talk about feelings people had around the 7 October attacks. She believes part of the effort to dictate how people react or feel about Israeli crimes is rooted in long-standing institutional support for Israel.
The International Court of Justice described Israel's war conduct as plausibly amounting to genocide against the Palestinian people in January. Around 1,200 people, including hundreds of Israeli soldiers, were killed on 7 October, and over 200 were taken hostage back to Gaza, leading to the ongoing Israeli assault on the enclave.
As of June 2024, there has been no public information or credible reports about Jodi Dean being removed from her teaching position at Hobart and William Smith Colleges over her essay on the Hamas-led breakout of Gaza. If this incident occurred very recently, it may not yet be documented in accessible sources.
- Jodi Dean, in her essay, analyzes the Hamas-led breakout of Gaza on 7 October and discusses its implications, describing the images of paragliders over the Israel-Gaza fence as "exhilarating."
- The incident involving Dean's temporary removal from her teaching position at Hobart and William Smith Colleges has sparked concern among academics and scholars, who argue it sets a precedent for violating academic freedom.
- Dean's essay delves into the politics surrounding Palestine, discussing the impact on education-and-self-development, media, general-news, and crime-and-justice, as well as the efforts to control emotions and thoughts about Israeli crimes.
- In January, the International Court of Justice described Israel's war conduct as possibly constituting genocide against the Palestinian people, while on 7 October, over 1,200 people, including Israeli soldiers, were killed, and over 200 were captured by Hamas and taken to Gaza, leading to the ongoing Israeli assault on the enclave.
- Despite the recent controversies, as of June 2024, there have been no public reports or credible evidence that Dean has been permanently removed from her teaching position at Hobart and William Smith Colleges due to her essay on the Hamas-led breakout of Gaza.
