NY governor orders Hunter College to remove Palestinian studies job listings

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered Hunter College to remove job listings for two Palestinian studies positions last week, following criticism from pro-Israel groups. It was the latest skirmish in years of simmering tension over Israel and allegations of antisemitism across the City University of New York system.

Heba Gowayed, a sociology professor at Hunter, announced the new roles on social media on February 24 after they were posted on the college’s website (they have since been taken down). “This is an incredible source of pride for me as a faculty member and one of the many reasons that I feel so lucky to work here,” she wrote on Bluesky. “Proud of Hunter administration for being a voice for justice in the face of so much horror.”

The two job listings, one in the humanities and one in the sciences, sought scholars who take “a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine including but not limited to: settler colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid, migration, climate and infrastructure devastation, health, race, gender and sexuality.”