The Envoy

By: Ana Agudelo, Dylan Healy and Alex Augenbraun

Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job posting for Hunter College on Feb. 25 after citing concerns of antisemitism.

The advertisement called for a social sciences professor “who takes a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine including but not limited to settler-colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid, migration, climate and infrastructure devastation, health, race, gender, and sexuality.”

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and Board of Trustees Chairperson William Thompson said in a joint statement on behalf of Hochul that the listing was “divisive, polarizing and inappropriate,“ according to a statement released to the New York Post.

Hochul also directed CUNY to “conduct a thorough review of the position to ensure that antisemitic theories are not promoted in the classroom,” a spokesperson told The New York Post.

The order of the removal has seen widespread backlash from various groups in the Hunter community, who are unsure what the removal of the posting means in a larger conversation surrounding censorship in education.  

Christopher Stone, an associate professor of Arabic in Hunter College’s department of classical and oriental studies, calls this decision “unprecedented.” 

“It is highly unusual for a governor to interfere in hiring practices for public universities,” Stone said. 

The removal of the advertisement for the position, he said, is akin to eliminating the position entirely, as “you can’t be hired for a position that you don’t know exists.”

Alexander Elinson, associate professor and head of the Arabic program at Hunter College, says the interference sets a “dangerous precedent.”

“Governor Hochul’s interference in this academic hire, conducted at an institution for higher learning and being conducted by academic experts is a direct threat to academic freedom and the independence of academic institutions,” he said.

The position’s listing stems from previous discussions between Hunter president Nancy Cantor, as well as students and faculty about what should be done differently in the future of Hunter, said Stone. There, the idea of cluster hires, the practice of hiring two or more professors in one area but in different departments, was created.

The advertised positions – one in the humanities and one in the social sciences are two full-time tenure track positions regarding the history of Palestine.

 “We couldn’t believe our ears,” said Stone regarding his and his colleagues’ reactions to the announcement of these positions opening. “There are a ton of classes regarding Israeli history, but few regarding Palestine’s.”

In response to the order to terminate the job listing, members of the search committees for both positions and Hunter College’s administration arranged a meeting to revise the listing the following day. Simultaneously, CUNY students and faculty held a protest at City College, as Hochul was set to attend an event that day.

Stone believes the wording of the advertisement is no different than any other listing for a position regarding a similar subject matter.

“If this were a position in Belgian studies or British Colonial studies, there would be no controversy. But because Palestine is involved, you have to change the way you speak about the subject,” Stone said. 

Tami Gold, a tenured film professor who is Jewish, tried to host a screening of the film “Israelism” in Nov. 2023 and faced heavy pushback from former Interim President Ann Kirschner who initially canceled the screening. Now, Gold says she has an ally in President Cantor, who pushed for the job posting.

“It’s really important to support the president of Hunter,” Gold said. “She’s the one who created this position. She needs our support and we need her support.”

Instead of eliminating advertising for the position, a revised advertisement will be released. The Hunter administration advised the search committee to remove language that could be seen as “problematic” and “antisemitic.” 

“It feels like a new era,” Stone said.