Professor Ari Kelman, the co-chair of Stanford University’s newly formed Antisemitism Committee, has resigned from his position after being criticized for his past associations with anti-Israel groups and for disregarding the issue of antisemitism on college campuses.
According to Jewish Insider, Kelman has a track record of downplaying the issue of antisemitism and has been known to be affiliated with groups that boycott Israel.
In 2017, Kelman co-wrote a paper titled “Safe on the Sidelines,” which asserted that antisemitism is not a problem on college campuses. The paper argued that the challenge lies in defining what counts as political speech and what is considered antisemitism. Kelman’s views on the matter have been called into question, and his appointment to co-chair the Antisemitism Committee has been met with criticism.
Additionally, Kelman has served on the academic board of Open Hillel, which is known to be affiliated with major Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) lobby groups, and has worked to undercut Hillel International’s guidelines, which prevent the organization from partnering with anti-Zionist groups or individuals. This has led to an outcry from Jewish groups that have been critical of Kelman’s views, accusing him of being biased against Israel.
Following mounting pressure, Professor Kelman was forced to resign from his position co-chairing Stanford’s Antisemitism Committee. “Stanford appointed BDS supporting Prof. Ari Kelman to chair its anti-Semitism committee. Amid criticism from brave Stanford students and alum, with an assist from the Caroline Glick show, he resigned!” tweeted Jewish News Syndicate editor Caroline Glick in a post.
Kelman, however, has denied any wrongdoing, stating that he hasn’t been on the board of Open Hillel for more than a decade and that he mostly provided advice to individual students during his service. Nevertheless, the fact that Kelman has been affiliated with groups that boycott Israel and has publicly disputed the existence of antisemitism on college campuses has been viewed as a cause for concern by many Jewish groups.