U of T called out for 'despicable' research group dedicated to anti-Zionism theories - National Post

A demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag inside an anti-Israel encampment at the University of Toronto campus on May 2, 2024. Photo by COLE BURSTON /AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentThe University of Toronto has been called out by prominent leaders on social media for its “despicable” research group dedicated to anti-Zionism theories, as explained in its description.

The working group, titled Bridging Theories of Anti-Zionism, is comprised of grad students and faculty at the university’s Jackman Humanities Institute who conduct research and engage in scholarly exchanges.

In the group’s description online, it asks the question: “What does it mean to critique Zionism as a political ideology, and how have the last three years of genocide in Palestine changed the scholarly engagement with this question?”

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It explains: “This working group seeks to map these varied streams of anti-Zionist thought and construct a critical genealogy that can inform contemporary scholarship across multiple fields.”

The webpage is no longer available online.

Dr. David Jacobs, part of U of T’s governing council and president of the Ontario Association of Radiologists, said in a social media post on Wednesday that he would be “remiss” in his duties if he “stayed silent on this latest working group.”

He pointed out that he would expect the university not to “indulge in this type of activity,” given the 2026 Canadian Heritage federal report that found 95.7 per cent of Jewish post-secondary students in Canada experienced or witnessed antisemitism on campus over the prior year.

I would be remiss in my duties as a University of Toronto Governor if I stayed silent on this latest working group.After the 2026 Canadian Heritage federal report revealed that 95.7% of Jewish post-secondary students in Canada experienced or witnessed antisemitism on campus… pic.twitter.com/zOG3oPWrkc

Richard Marceau, author and vice-president at Canadian advocacy group Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, also posted on X.