UF courses discussing antisemitism and the history of Israel are under state-mandated review after a Florida International University test question was interpreted as antisemitic.
Florida’s 12 public universities will each form a faculty committee this Fall to examine their syllabi, curricula and any content in courses that mention topics or words including Israel, Israeli, Palestine, Palestinian, the Middle East, Zionism, Zionist, Judaism, Jewish or Jews.
“What prompted this was a question that said Jews invented terrorism,” Ray Rodrigues, the State University System of Florida chancellor, told the Miami Herald.
The committees are looking for content that contains “antisemitic material” or “anti-Israeli bias.”
The review reflects an increasing state focus on how universities teach sensitive issues. Last year’s House Bill 999, for instance, made headlines for initially seeking to eliminate women’s studies majors and minors. It was later revised to retain those programs, but the appropriate nature of related course content continued to be discussed.
Armin Langer, a visiting assistant professor at UF’s Center for European Studies, who teaches a course titled "Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Europe," voiced his apprehensions about the review. He sees the initiative as part of a larger trend of politicizing academic work, particularly concerning Israel and Gaza .
“Academics are being depicted as left-wing radicals for indoctrinating students,” Langer said, “and as part of that narrative, academics are being accused of being one-sided when it comes to Israel, and that one-sidedness is often portrayed as antisemitism.”
Proponents of the review, like Florida Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, argue it ensures that universities provide accurate and comprehensive information about Jewish history and modern issues, particularly after the situation at FIU.
On the social media platform X, Fine said, “There is no room for #MuslimTerror at Florida’s state universities.”
But Langer worries the review could have a chilling effect on academic freedom at UF, particularly for professors and programs that focus on Palestinian rights and related issues.
The rising trend of antisemitism on college campuses across the United States is said to have set this review in motion. According to Hillel International, since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, there have been a total of 1,896 reported antisemitic incidents on college campuses. At UF, antisemitic vandalizations in recent years have scared Jewish students.
“The review itself is not a problem, but the political instrumentalization of it can be harmful,” Langer said. “It can definitely create a sense of insecurity, both among faculty and the student body.”
Students at UF have also expressed mixed feelings about the review. Ben Roberts, a UF political science senior, has taken courses that discuss Judaism, antisemitism and Middle Eastern conflict. Roberts acknowledged the inherent controversy in these topics, but felt his professors handled the material objectively.
In his experience, Roberts added, he has never felt offended in a classroom or faced commentary that seemed overly inflammatory.
“I think the topic is inherently controversial,” he said. “Even if a teacher gives a fair synopsis of the Israeli perspective or the Palestinian perspective, I think there's ways for someone to get offended somehow.”
Julianne Do, a 21-year-old UF biological sciences junior, took courses that discussed philosophy, political science and human rights in Asia. Do said her experiences with these class concepts at UF had been respectful, but recognized the possible motivations behind the review.
“I feel like UF does a pretty good job of being objective,” she said. “I don't think UF picks sides whatsoever. You know how to stick to our primary sources and to disseminate the information without galvanizing students for any agenda.”
The curriculum review will begin this Fall.
Contact Vera Lucia Pappaterra at vpappaterra@alligator.org. Follow her on X @veralupap.
