Saree Makdisi, a professor of English and Comparative Literature at UCLA, has spent years leveraging his academic authority to advance deeply antisemitic narratives and providing intellectual cover for extremist movements. Drawing from a family legacy rooted in radical anti-Zionism—his uncle being the late Edward Said—Makdisi has taken that ideology a step further, transforming it into a relentless campaign to demonize Jews and justify violence under the guise of “resistance.”
Rather than fostering open inquiry or academic rigor, Makdisi has used his classroom, public appearances, and writing platforms to promote conspiratorial rhetoric, defend terrorist sympathizers, and blur the line between critique and hate. His influence has helped normalize antisemitism in academic settings and reinforce anti-Jewish hostility on UCLA’s campus.
A Career of Antisemitic Incitement and Historical Distortion
Makdisi has spent decades spreading antisemitic tropes under the protection of academic speech. His work goes beyond criticizing Israeli policy—it mirrors the talking points of organizations and individuals who celebrate the targeting of Jewish civilians.
- Holocaust Inversion: In 2022, Makdisi compared Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto, falsely equating Israeli defensive actions with Nazi genocide. This comparison—a textbook case of Holocaust inversion—is condemned by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) as a form of antisemitism.
- Demonizing Jewish Statehood: Makdisi has repeatedly labeled Zionism as “racial supremacy” and “settler-colonialism,” portraying Jews as foreign usurpers with no indigenous connection to their homeland.
- Dehumanizing Rhetoric: His writings regularly describe Israel as a “neo-fascist” entity, erasing the context of terrorism, distorting history, and laying moral blame squarely on Jews while absolving their attackers.
Championing the Extremist BDS Agenda
Makdisi is a leading proponent of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, whose core mission is not peace but the dismantling of the Jewish state. He has used his academic status to push for the economic, cultural, and academic isolation of Israel and Jewish institutions worldwide.
- In 2016, Makdisi aggressively promoted a total academic boycott of Israeli universities, effectively advocating for the silencing of Jewish scholars based on nationality.
- He has signed numerous boycott petitions targeting Israel, including those that explicitly accuse Jewish institutions of complicity in “apartheid”—a legal distortion devoid of evidence.
- He supports BDS not as a tactical measure, but as an ideological tool to delegitimize and ultimately erase Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East.
Justifying Terror and Downplaying Atrocities
Makdisi’s support for “resistance” includes clear rhetorical justification for violence against civilians and denial of terrorist war crimes.
- In an April 2023 interview, Makdisi dismissed the October 7 Hamas massacre, shifting focus to isolating Israel and implying that resistance—even violent—was a necessary consequence.
- In a 2024 Drift Magazine feature, he accused university leaders of failing to protect free speech, framing his extremist, antisemitic narratives as merely “controversial opinion” rather than incitement.
- He has repeatedly argued that only through external political and economic pressure can Israel be “brought to heel”—a phrase laden with authoritarian undertones and an unmistakable message of coercion.
Antisemitism as “Free Speech”
Makdisi’s strategy depends heavily on reframing antisemitism as dissent and portraying himself as a victim of institutional censorship, all while attacking Jewish voices with impunity.
- He coined the slur “Ziotrolls” to describe pro-Israel Jews online, reducing legitimate political discourse to dehumanizing mockery.
- In his public op-eds and lectures, he routinely claims that criticism of his positions amounts to “silencing,” while ignoring the real-world harassment faced by Jewish students on UC campuses from BDS activists he defends.
- He advocates for the “right of return” of millions of Palestinians as a demographic weapon to eliminate Israel’s Jewish majority—a policy that would effectively end Jewish self-determination and sovereignty.
Academic Legitimization of Extremism
Makdisi’s influence reaches far beyond UCLA’s campus. He is regularly invited to speak at radical conferences, appears on platforms known for promoting antisemitic and anti-Western narratives, and receives praise from organizations that openly sympathize with Hamas.
- Participated in the “Said’s Palestine” event with academics such as Nadia Abu El-Haj and Judith Butler, both known for their controversial and inflammatory positions on Israel.
- His book Tolerance Is a Wasteland was awarded by the Palestine Book Awards, a platform that regularly uplifts authors who delegitimize Jewish history and identity.
- Frequently featured on Democracy Now! and Middle East Monitor, both of which have histories of platforming extremist figures and anti-Israel propaganda.
Conclusion: A Professor of Propaganda
Saree Makdisi has built a career not on scholarly integrity, but on erasing Jewish history, endorsing dangerous myths, and providing intellectual camouflage for violent ideologies. He occupies a prominent academic post while systematically undermining the principles of coexistence, free inquiry, and truth.
Makdisi’s rhetoric is not abstract. It contributes directly to a campus climate of hostility, fuels the marginalization of Jewish students, and legitimizes those who seek to destroy Israel by force or attrition. His continued employment at UCLA reflects the broader failure of universities to draw clear lines between academic freedom and incitement.
Makdisi is not an educator. He is a propagandist operating under academic immunity—and his ideas have real-world consequences.