A finalist to lead Middle East studies at Columbia University was placed on probation by Princeton University after holding a class in the middle of an anti-Israel encampment on campus. The situation raises questions about academic activism and campus tolerance for political protest among faculty in elite universities.
Max Weiss, a tenured history professor at Princeton, is one of four finalists being considered for the Edward Said Chair in Arab Studies at Columbia. In April 2024, Weiss led his History of Palestine/Israel class out of the classroom into the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” erected that day on Princeton’s McCosh Courtyard lawn and delivered his lecture from inside the protest zone.
Princeton’s dean of faculty, Gene Jarrett, responded by placing Weiss on formal probation for the 2024–2025 academic year, characterizing his behavior as “unprofessional,” “coercive,” and “intimidatory,” according to a university notice. Yet, Princeton granted Weiss tenure around the same time he was disciplined.
Weiss has been a visible figure in campus activism that critics say crosses lines between scholarship and protest. He openly advocates for an academic boycott of Israel and once led an effort asking tenured Princeton faculty to back a petition urging divestment from companies tied to what activists call “Israeli occupation.”
In April 2024, amid broader protests tied to the Gaza war, Weiss served as a spokesperson for a group of students and faculty who occupied Princeton’s Clio Hall in what they described as solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. He was filmed encouraging assembled protesters and used a bullhorn to amplify slogans.
While on probation, Weiss continued scholarly activity including publishing work defending Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gazan doctor also identified as a Hamas colonel. Weiss also wrote critically about Princeton’s response to antisemitic vandalism on campus, arguing against how the university framed its own anti-Semitic incident alerts.
Columbia’s search for the Edward Said chair comes amid heightened scrutiny over campus culture and academic bias. The position is highly influential in shaping Middle Eastern studies at one of the nation’s leading universities. Columbia’s history department notified faculty and graduate students in January that a group of four finalists—including Weiss—would give presentations as part of the selection process.
A Columbia spokesman emphasized that no job offers have been extended and that the views of individual candidates do not reflect the university as a whole.
In addition to Weiss, two of the other candidates under consideration have histories of activism against Israel, including involvement in public demonstrations and political commentary on Middle Eastern affairs.
