U of T called out for ‘despicable’ research group dedicated to anti-Zionism theories

Article content

The 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.

Article content

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.

Article content

Article content

Article content

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?”

Article content

Article content

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.”

Article content

The webpage is no longer available online.

Article content

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.”

Article content

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.

Article content

Article content

Article content

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

Article content

Article content

“This is despicable, (U of T),” he wrote.

Article content

“Zionism is simply the modern expression of the connection between a people — the Jewish people — and a land — the Land of Israel. That connection has been central to Jewish identity and Judaism since antiquity,” he continued.

Article content

“This is not scholarship. It is anti-Jewish activism masquerading as legitimate academic work.”

Article content