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‘Ethnonationalist Project’: Harvard Program Director Resigns to Protest New Antisemitism Policies
Demonstrators take part in an “Emergency Rally: Stand With Palestinians Under Siege in Gaza,” amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, Oct. 14, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
An employee of the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) has resigned from his position to protest the university’s recent enactment of policies aimed at combating antisemitism and the spreading of blood libels by its faculty.
Jay Ulfelder, program director of the Nonviolent Action Lab at HKS’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, shared the resignation letter he sent to his employers on the social media platform Blue Sky on Friday. In it, he accused Harvard University of quelling criticism of what he described as “Israeli apartheid and genocide” and declared that he finds intolerable Harvard’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and choosing to recognize Zionism as a central component of Jewish identity.
“The university’s recent decision to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism gave me the final push,” Ulfelder wrote, enumerating beliefs widely perceived as antisemitic by Jewish civil rights activists and scholars. “I know that Zionism is an ethnonationalist project, and that ethnonationalist projects inevitably involve racism and authoritarian governance and violent boundary maintenance. I know that Israel’s brutal campaign in Gaza over the past 16 months is a genocide punctuating a 76-year history of violent dispossession and subordination of the Palestinian people.”
He continued, “I know that political and material support for Israel from the US government, corporations, and cultural and educational institutions has been and remains fundamental to that endeavor. And I know that mass mobilization in the US can play an important supporting role in ending that genocide and helping to create space for real Palestinian liberation.”
Ulfelder then admitted that uttering his beliefs “in public” may constitute a violation of “the university’s anti-discrimination policies” and “[harm] the work the Lab and the Ash Center.” He added that while he has “decided to leave the institution,” he is certain that many others employed by HKS and the Ash Center “share my basic values and are trying hard to embody them.”
The director’s resignation, which becomes effective on Feb. 5, was precipitated by a previously reported civil settlement in which Harvard University agreed to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism to its non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies, recognize the centrality of Zionism to Jewish identity, and explicitly state that targeting an individual on the basis of their Zionism constitutes a violation of school rules.
That agreement resolved claims brought by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Students Against Antisemitism (SAA) in 2024. The Brandeis Center alleged that the university’s neglecting to discipline a professor whose mistreatment of Israeli-Jewish students was confirmed by a third-party investigator violated civil rights protections mandated by federal law. SAA, citing similar legal infractions, alleged that the university failed to address an explosion of antisemitic behavior on the campus, including harassment and hate speech.
The IHRA definition of antisemitism, to which Ulfelder expressed his strongest objection, is widely accepted by Jewish groups and lawmakers across the political spectrum, and used by hundreds of governing institutions, including the US State Department, European Union, and United Nations.
According to the definition, antisemitism “is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” It provides 11 specific, contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere. Beyond classic antisemitic behavior associated with the likes of the medieval period and Nazi Germany, the examples include denial of the Holocaust and newer forms of antisemitism targeting Israel such as demonizing the Jewish state, denying its right to exist, and holding it to standards not expected of any other democratic state.
Jewish and non-Jewish civil rights activists and lawmakers called on the university to adopt the IHRA definition ever since Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 descended Harvard into the most turbulent chapter of its history.
As scenes of Hamas terrorists abducting children and desecrating dead bodies circulated worldwide, 31 student groups at Harvard, led by the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) issued a statement blaming Israel for the attack and accusing the Jewish state of operating an “open air prison” in Gaza, despite that the Israeli military withdrew from the territory in 2005. In the weeks that followed, anti-Zionists stormed the campus screaming “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “globalize the intifada,” terrorizing Jewish students and preventing some from attending class.
Observers of the situation there, both on and off campus, accused Harvard of fostering a culture of racial grievance and antisemitism, while important donors suspended funding for prestigious academic programs. Later, its first Black president, Claudine Gay — who refused to explicitly denounce antisemitic speech until the public turned against her — resigned in disgrace after being outed as a serial plagiarist, ending the shortest tenure of any Harvard president.
Faculty also engaged in controversial conduct. In one incident in February 2024, an anti-Zionist faculty group shared an antisemitic cartoon depicting a left-hand tattooed with a Star of David, which contained a dollar sign at its center, dangling a Black man and an Arab man from a noose. The cartoon’s subtext was that Jewish money oppresses Arabs and African Americans.
Harvard, America’s oldest and arguably most important institution of higher education, has now agreed, on paper, to begin the work of eradicating antisemitic discrimination from its campus. In announcing its settlement with the Brandeis Center and Students Against Antisemitism, it proclaimed its “enduring commitment to ensuring our Jewish students. faculty, and staff are embraced, respected, and supported.”
As for Ulfelder, he boasted in his resignation letter about being privileged enough to endure unemployment rather than be a part of Harvard’s antidiscrimination initiatives.
“Lots of people can’t afford to quit their jobs; I’m very lucky that I can,” he concluded. “The university administration’s deepening repression of activism against the genocide in Palestine has now devalued and degraded that asset to an extent that I personally can no longer tolerate.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post ‘Ethnonationalist Project’: Harvard Program Director Resigns to Protest New Antisemitism Policies first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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South Africa Distances Itself From Army Chief’s Pledges of Military, Political Support to Iran
Iranian Major General Amir Hatami and South African General Rudzani Maphwanya meet in Tehran to discuss strengthening military cooperation and strategic ties. Photo: Screenshot
South Africa’s army chief has faced domestic backlash after pledging military and political support to Iran during a recent visit, prompting government officials to distance themselves from his remarks over concerns they could harm Pretoria’s efforts to strengthen ties with the United States.
Members of South Africa’s governing coalition have denounced Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), for his trip to Tehran earlier this week, describing his remarks as “reckless grandstanding.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest party in the governing coalition, has called for Maphwanya to be court-martialed for breaking neutrality and violating military law, saying his comments had gone “beyond military-to-military discussions and entered the realm of foreign policy.”
“This reckless grandstanding comes at a time when South Africa’s relations with key democratic partners, especially the United States, are already under severe strain,” DA defense spokesperson Chris Hattingh said in a statement.
“The SANDF’s job is to lead and manage the defense forces, not to act as an unsanctioned political envoy. Allowing our most senior military officer to make partisan foreign policy pronouncements is strategically reckless, diplomatically irresponsible, and economically self-defeating,” he continued.
“South Africa cannot afford to have its international standing further sabotaged by political adventurism from the military’s top brass,” Hattingh said.
Iran and South Africa held high-level military talks earlier this week as both nations seek to deepen cooperation and strengthen their partnership against what officials called “global arrogance and aggressive colonial approaches.”
During a joint press conference with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, Maphwanya called for deeper ties between the two nations, especially in defense cooperation, affirming that “the Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common goals.”
“We always stand alongside the oppressed and defenseless people of the world,” the South African general said.
He also criticized Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza, expressed support for the Palestinian people, and told Iranian officials that his visit “conveys a political message” on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration.
However, shortly after Maphwanya’s remarks drew media attention, the South African government moved to distance itself from his comments, with the Foreign Affairs Ministry stating that his comments “do not represent the government’s official foreign policy stance.”
The Defense Department, which described Maphwanya’s comments as “unfortunate,” confirmed that he is now expected to meet with the Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, upon his return to provide explanations.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, clarified that the president was neither aware of the trip nor had he sanctioned it.
“The visit was ill-advised and more so, the expectation is that the general should have been a lot more circumspect with the comments he makes,” Magwenya told reporters during a press conference on Thursday.
“It is crucial to clarify that the implementation of South Africa’s foreign policy is a function of the presidency,” he continued. “Any statements made by an individual, or a department other than those responsible for foreign policy, should not be misinterpreted as the official position of the South African government.”
Maphwanya’s trip to Iran came after the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) released a recent report detailing how South Africa’s deepening ties with Tehran have led the country to compromise its democratic foundations and constitutional principles by aligning itself with a regime internationally condemned for terrorism, repression, and human rights abuses.
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Democrat Pete Buttigieg Toughens Stance on Israel, Says He Backs Arms Embargo Following Left-Wing Pressure
Former US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during an appearance on the “Pod Save America” podcast on Aug. 10, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
Former US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Democrat considered by many observers to be a potential 2028 presidential candidate, has recalibrated his stance on Israel, moving from cautious language to a far more critical position after facing backlash over recent comments on the popular “Pod Save America” podcast.
In his podcast interview on Sunday, Buttigieg called Israel “a friend” and said the United States should “put your arm around” the country during difficult times. He also sidestepped a direct answer on whether the US should recognize a Palestinian state, describing the question as “profound” but offering little elaboration beyond calls for peace.
That measured approach drew sharp criticism from progressives and foreign policy voices who argued that his words were too vague amid the ongoing war in Gaza and a shifting sentiment within the Democratic party base regarding Israel. Evolving fault lines within the Democratic Party over US policy toward its staunch Middle Eastern ally signal that the issue could loom large in the 2028 presidential primary.
Following Sunday’s interview, US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) urged Buttigieg to show “moral clarity,” while Ben Rhodes, former White House aide to President Barack Obama, said he was left uncertain where the Cabinet official stood. Social media critics accused Buttigieg of offering platitudes that dodged hard policy commitments.
In a follow-up interview with Politico published on Thursday, Buttigieg took a decidedly tougher line. He said he supports recognizing a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution and ending the decades-long practice of providing military aid to the Jewish state through sweeping, multi-year packages. Instead, he called for a case-by-case review of assistance, while emphasizing the need to stop civilian deaths, release hostages, and ensure unimpeded humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Perhaps most significantly, Buttigieg indicated support for a US arms embargo on Israel, saying he would have signed on to Sen. Bernie Sanders’s recently proposed resolution to prohibit arms sales to the Jewish state.
The shift places Buttigieg closer to the party’s progressive flank on foreign policy, a notable change for a figure often viewed as a bridge between the Democratic establishment and younger, more liberal voters. For a likely 2028 contender, the move reflects both the political risks of appearing out of step with an increasingly skeptical base and the growing influence of voices calling for sharper limits on US support for Israel.
Recent polling shows a generational divide on the issue, with younger Democrats far more likely to back conditioning aid to Israel and recognizing Palestinian statehood.
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Former Algemeiner Correspondent Gidon Ben-Zvi Dies at 51
Gidon Ben-Zvi. Photo: Screenshot
Gidon Ben-Zvi, former Jerusalem Correspondent for The Algemeiner, has died at the age of 51 after a fight with cancer.
Ben-Zvi continued to write op-eds for The Algemeiner even after he left as a correspondent, including in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel.
An accomplished writer, Ben-Zvi left Hollywood for Jerusalem in 2009, moving back to Israel after spending 12 years in the United States. From 1994-1997, Gidon served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in an infantry unit.
In addition to writing for The Algemeiner, Ben-Zvi contributed to the Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, CiF Watch, and blogged at Jerusalem State of Mind.
Ben-Zvi joined HonestReporting as a senior editor in June 2020, becoming an integral part of the editorial department and writing dozens of articles and media critiques for the watchdog group exposing anti-Israel bias. He moved with his family to Haifa at the end of 2022.
Ben-Zvi’s final article for HonestReporting was published in January 2025, before he took a leave of absence for health reasons. HonestReporting said in a newly published obituary that staff believed he would eventually return, noting the positivity and perseverance he exuded. The advocacy group said it learned of Ben-Zvi’s passing late last month.
Ben-Zvi leaves behind his wife, Debbie, and four young children.
All Ben-Zvi’s articles for The Algemeiner can be found here.
May his memory be a blessing.