Turning Point USA

Following the brutal surprise attacks by Hamas on Israel, a wave of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli sentiment has flooded college campuses across the nation. Universities have become hosts to rallies protesting Israel, with students under the false impression that Israel is an oppressor and that Palestinian terrorist groups are innocent.

This rhetoric is not exclusive to students. Radical left-wing professors are attempting to indoctrinate students by spreading lies about the current Middle East conflict. But Turning Point USA’s Professor Watchlist is here to fix that.

The Professor Watchlist has a mission to expose and document college professors across the country who advance radical beliefs and leftist propaganda in the classroom. Recently, the watchlist has added a number of biased professors who have been exposed for their radical views on the conflict in the Middle East.

Here is our list of the top five worst examples of college professors promoting anti-Israel and pro-Hamas beliefs:

Dishonorable Mentions:

Ghassan Zakaria (San Diego State University), Joseph Massad (Columbia University), Lara Sheehi (George Washington University), Abbas Ghasemmi (University of California, Merced), Khaled Al-Hroub (Northwestern University), Isabella Hammad (New York University), Sena Karasipahi (Texas A&M).

5.) Christine Sahin – University of Washington

Christine Sahin is an Acting Assistant Professor at the Seattle-based University of Washington who has been exposed for attending a rally in support of Hamas terrorists. In a video taken by students from the university’s TPUSA chapter, Sahin is seen “wearing pro-Hamas gear with their signature keffiyeh as the crowd called for the genocide of Jews.” In the background of the video, fellow rally attendees can be heard chanting the genocidal slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

After the initial Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians, Sahin posted on social media that she stands with the liberation of Palestine and “the necessary end to genocide, occupation, and ethnic cleansing.”

4.) Jemma Decristo – University of California, Davis

Jemma Decristo, an assistant professor of American Studies at the University of California-Davis, recently sparked controversy with a post on X that openly called for violence.

Decristo, who identifies as female despite being biologically male, called out American reporters on X by accusing them of spreading propaganda and misinformation. He also referred to them as “zionist journalists.”

One of Decristo’s tweets raised particular concern when he stated that these journalists have “easy access” because their home addresses can be found. He even went as far as to imply that individuals should find out what schools these reporters’ children attend. Decristo concluded his post by saying these reporters should “fear us,” followed by emojis of a knife, an axe, and several drops of blood.

3.) Zareena Grewal – Yale University

As Ivy League schools come under fire for their refusal to condemn Hamas, Associate Professor of American Studies at Yale University Zarrena Grewal has been met with calls for termination after her sympathetic comments towards Hamas.

In a post on X, Grewal characterized Israel as a “murderous, genocidal settler state.” She went on to state that Palestinians have “every right to resist through armed struggle” and solidarity. Following these comments, Yale came to her defense by saying it is committed to freedom of expression. A petition to terminate Grewal has since been created, and over 53,000 signatures have been collected.

2.) Russell Rickford – Cornell University

Dr. Russell Rickford is an associate professor of history at Cornell University who specializes in “African-American political culture.” Already a member of the Professor Watchlist for his extreme views on race relations in the United States, Rickford had drawn attention once again after he stated that his observation of Hamas’ attacks on Israel was “exhilarating” and “energizing.”

In a speech made after Hamas’ initial attack, Rickford claimed that Palestinians were “able to breathe for the first time in years.” Rickford seemed to applaud Hamas’ actions by describing it as a shift in the balance of power in the region.

“They [Palestinians] were able to breathe for the first time in years. It was exhilarating. It was energizing. And if they weren’t exhilarated by this challenge to the monopoly of violence, by this shifting of the balance of power, then they would not be human. I was exhilarated,” Rickford explained.

“Hamas has punctured the illusion of invincibility…Hamas has challenged the monopoly of violence.”

Following these horrific comments, an online petition was created that called for Rickford’s removal from Cornell University.

1.) Mika Tosca – School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Mika Tosca is an Associate Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) who identifies as a woman despite being biologically male. On a now-viral social media post, Tosca referred to Israelis as “pigs” and “savages.” He went on to criticize Israelis, making no distinction between civilians and members of the government, as “irredeemable excrement.”

“After the past week, if your eyes aren’t open to the crimes against humanity that Israel has committed for decades, and will continue to commit, then I suggest you open them. It’s disgusting and grotesque. May they all rot in hell,” Tosca concluded in his post on Instagram.

After the public backlash for his comments, Tosca took to X to apologize for his previous statement. Tosca stated that he “unequivocally reject[s] and do[es] not stand behind” his comments made on Instagram. However, many critics responded by saying he only apologized because of the virality of his post, not out of regret for the beliefs that were stated.

Researched and edited by Hayden Cunningham.