Dana El Kurd outlines what is happening in higher education, how and why the Trump administration is attacking universities, and the role Palestine plays in all of this.

Sources:

Clifford Ando – The Crisis of the University Started Long Before Trump - https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-crisis-of-the-university-started-long-before-trump/

Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism - https://jerusalemdeclaration.org/

Ken Stern on IHRA definition - https://www.npr.org/2025/03/20/nx-s1-5326047/kenneth-stern-antimsietim-executive-order-free-speech

2023 Pew Research Center Poll on Black Lives Matter - https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/06/14/views-on-the-black-lives-matter-movement/

Marc Bousquet – How the University Works - https://nyupress.org/9780814799758/how-the-university-works/

PBS Reporting on Harvard University negotiations with Trump administration - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/harvard-nearing-settlement-with-trump-to-pay-500-million-and-regain-federal-funding

The Intercept’s reporting on Columbia University settlement with the Trump administration - https://theintercept.com/2025/04/16/columbia-middle-eastern-studies-trump-attacks/

Middle East Studies Association statement on Columbia University settlement - https://mesana.org/advocacy/letters-from-the-board/2025/03/28/joint-statement-regarding-columbia-university-and-the-department-of-education

Results of the Middle East Scholar Barometer - https://criticalissues.umd.edu/sites/criticalissues.umd.edu/files/November%202023%20MESB%20Results.pdf

Human Rights Watch statement on the IHRA definition - https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/04/human-rights-and-other-civil-society-groups-urge-united-nations-respect-human

Axios reporting on The Nexus Project and Trump’s use of antisemitism investigations - https://www.axios.com/2025/03/31/college-campus-antisemitism-trump-nexus-project

American Association of University Professors – Academic Freedom - https://www.aaup.org/issues-higher-education/academic-freedom/faqs-academic-freedom

2024 Announcement of 40 new AAUP chapters - https://www.aaup.org/academe/issues/winter-2025/warm-welcome-new-or-reestablished-aaup-chapters

Executive Order on Combatting Antisemitism - https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-combating-anti-semitism/

Dana El Kurd outlines what is happening in higher education, how and why the Trump administration is attacking universities, and the role Palestine plays in all of this.
Sources:
Clifford Ando &ndash; The Crisis of the University Started Long Before Trump - <a href="https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-crisis-of-the-university-started-long-before-trump/">https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-crisis-of-the-university-started-long-before-trump/</a>
Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism - <a href="https://jerusalemdeclaration.org/">https://jerusalemdeclaration.org/</a>
Ken Stern on IHRA definition - <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/03/20/nx-s1-5326047/kenneth-stern-antimsietim-executive-order-free-speech">https://www.npr.org/2025/03/20/nx-s1-5326047/kenneth-stern-antimsietim-executive-order-free-speech</a>
2023 Pew Research Center Poll on Black Lives Matter - <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/06/14/views-on-the-black-lives-matter-movement/">https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/06/14/views-on-the-black-lives-matter-movement/</a>
Marc Bousquet &ndash; How the University Works - <a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814799758/how-the-university-works/">https://nyupress.org/9780814799758/how-the-university-works/</a>
PBS Reporting on Harvard University negotiations with Trump administration - <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/harvard-nearing-settlement-with-trump-to-pay-500-million-and-regain-federal-funding">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/harvard-nearing-settlement-with-trump-to-pay-500-million-and-regain-federal-funding</a>
The Intercept&rsquo;s reporting on Columbia University settlement with the Trump administration - <a href="https://theintercept.com/2025/04/16/columbia-middle-eastern-studies-trump-attacks/">https://theintercept.com/2025/04/16/columbia-middle-eastern-studies-trump-attacks/</a>
Middle East Studies Association statement on Columbia University settlement - <a href="https://mesana.org/advocacy/letters-from-the-board/2025/03/28/joint-statement-regarding-columbia-university-and-the-department-of-education">https://mesana.org/advocacy/letters-from-the-board/2025/03/28/joint-statement-regarding-columbia-university-and-the-department-of-education</a>
Results of the Middle East Scholar Barometer - <a href="https://criticalissues.umd.edu/sites/criticalissues.umd.edu/files/November%202023%20MESB%20Results.pdf">https://criticalissues.umd.edu/sites/criticalissues.umd.edu/files/November%202023%20MESB%20Results.pdf</a>
Human Rights Watch statement on the IHRA definition - <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/04/human-rights-and-other-civil-society-groups-urge-united-nations-respect-human">https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/04/human-rights-and-other-civil-society-groups-urge-united-nations-respect-human</a>
Axios reporting on The Nexus Project and Trump&rsquo;s use of antisemitism investigations - <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/31/college-campus-antisemitism-trump-nexus-project">https://www.axios.com/2025/03/31/college-campus-antisemitism-trump-nexus-project</a>
American Association of University Professors &ndash; Academic Freedom - <a href="https://www.aaup.org/issues-higher-education/academic-freedom/faqs-academic-freedom">https://www.aaup.org/issues-higher-education/academic-freedom/faqs-academic-freedom</a>
2024 Announcement of 40 new AAUP chapters - <a href="https://www.aaup.org/academe/issues/winter-2025/warm-welcome-new-or-reestablished-aaup-chapters">https://www.aaup.org/academe/issues/winter-2025/warm-welcome-new-or-reestablished-aaup-chapters</a>
Executive Order on Combatting Antisemitism - <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-combating-anti-semitism/">https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-combating-anti-semitism/</a>

It Could Happen Here started as an exploration of the possibility of a new civil war. Now a daily show, it's evolved into a chronicle of collapse as it happens, and an exploration of how we might build a better future. Every day Robert Evans, Garrison Davis, Mia Wong, and James Stout take you on a jaunty walk through the burning ruins of the old world and towards a better one that lays just on the horizon.

It Could Happen Here started as an exploration of the possibility of a new civil war. Now a daily show, it's evolved into a chronicle of collapse as it happens, and an exploration of how we might build a better future. Every day Robert Evans, Garrison Davis, Mia Wong, and James Stout take you on a jaunty walk through the burning ruins of the old world and towards a better one that lays just on the horizon.

It Could Happen Here

Palestine and the American University feat. Dana El Kurd

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/990fe7c0-3a23-488e-b5d4-b34401381127/transcript

Advertisement