Harvard University administration’s decision to cancel a special issue of the Harvard Educational Review that dealt with Palestine. This decision has sparked an understandable outcry from scholars and associations that defend academic freedom. These questions are crucial to understanding the state of Palestinian education today, but how the state of Palestine itself is taught in schools. This sharp focus is especially pertinent in light of the current war in Gaza, which has completely destroyed the educational infrastructure in the area.
The resulting special issue six months in the making. All the while, Israel was bombarding Gaza in what amounted to a slaughter. Educational facilities—from schools to universities—throughout the region have been destroyed on a massive scale. Therefore, though hundreds of schools have closed, all universities have suffered total destruction. As editors, we understood the significant and urgent state of affairs, and that led us to issue a call for abstracts. Their aim is to encourage discourse on critical topics in education today.
Just days before the scheduled September publication date, the M.T.A. Contracts with the majority of authors had already been completed and editing for all submitted articles was nearly finished. Recent academic conferences have focused on the topic, bringing waves of public attention. It was further featured as the back cover image of the last journal issue!
Over 115 education scholars publicly protested against the last-minute cancellation. They signed an open letter denouncing the move as a form of “political censorship.” The letter describes the decision as an attempt to silence discussions about the “genocide, starvation, and dehumanization” of Palestinian people by Israel and its allies. Prominent scholars argue that this action effectively shuts down the dissemination of scholarship about Palestine. They consider this particularly alarming during a time when educational discourse is most needed.
The decision to cancel has been met with outrage from a wide range of stakeholder groups. PEN America called it a “blatant assault on academic freedom.” Kristen Shahverdian is the program director for PEN America’s Campus Free Speech program. She called that kind of cancelation happening so close to print “highly unusual, virtually unheard of.” She emphasized that stifling scholarly voices deprives academics, students, and the public of the valuable perspectives we need. This trend is particularly chilling given the increasing political interference in higher education.
Thea Abu El-Haj, a Palestinian-American professor of education at Barnard College, expressed her dismay. She grew frustrated with how Harvard handled it. She stated,
“If the universities – or in this case a university press – are not willing to stand up for what is core to their mission, I don’t know what they’re doing.”
Arathi Sriprakash, a professor of sociology and education at the University of Oxford, highlighted that the cancellation had mobilized many in the academic community to defend their rights to discuss such critical topics. In her testimony she warned that there are dire consequences involved with attacks on academic freedom and integrity.
The environment around this cancellation is impossible to ignore. Institutionalized antisemitism The Trump administration had begun a crackdown on any perceived antisemitism at U.S. campuses. Consequently, many academic institutions are increasingly risk-averse and pressured to avoid controversial discussions altogether. Jessica Fiorillo, spokesperson for Harvard Graduate School of Education, emphasized that the decision should not be interpreted as censorship. Above all, she underscored that there is no threat to academic freedom – absolutely none.
Detractors contend that this series of events is symptomatic of larger, worsening trends in the ivory tower. As a result, the scholars’ open letter rightly calls this cancellation “anti-Palestinian discrimination” in no uncertain terms. They go on to claim that it harms academic engagement with important issues concerning Palestine. They contend that giving up on genuine academic inquiry is a betrayal of education’s sacred trust. More than just demonstrating bad faith, this move highlights the way that Harvard abjectly betrays its institutional mission.
Amid the ensuing controversy, Harvard University continues to prioritize a strong editorial process. A wide variety of scholars continue to be unconvinced, treating this episode as representative of deeper challenges to academic freedom in our day.
As America’s institutions of higher learning grapple with this fraught political moment, the ramifications of this cancellation stretch beyond Harvard’s campus. It calls into question the way universities expose students to controversial topics and what role they should play in promoting civic dialogue.