Vile Penn Professor Spews Antisemitic Rhetoric; Penn Doesn't Care

Huda Fakhreddine, an associate professor of Arabic literature at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), is at the center of a growing controversy over allegations of antisemitic statements and actions that contribute to a hostile environment for Jewish students.

Fakhreddine’s critics have pointed to several statements attributed to her as evidence of antisemitic rhetoric particularly in the wake of Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on israel.

But even before October 7th, Fakhreddine was a co-organizer of the Palestine Writes Literature Festival, held at Penn in September 2023.

The event, described as North America’s only festival dedicated to Palestinian writers and artists, featured speakers accused of promoting antisemitic tropes, including:

The festival sparked outrage among Jewish community members and prompted donor backlash. It was followed by antisemitic incidents on campus, including swastika graffiti and vandalism at Penn’s Hillel building.

Fakhreddine defended the festival, arguing that Penn “failed to acknowledge how the onslaught of anti-intellectual anger endangered the festival organizers."

After October 7th though, Fakhreddine ramped up her hateful rhetoric:

In March 2024, Fakhreddine, alongside history professor Eve Troutt Powell and Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine, filed a lawsuit to block Penn from releasing internal documents to the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which is investigating antisemitism on campus.

The lawsuit, dismissed with prejudice in January 2025 by Judge Mitchell Goldberg, argued that the probe constituted a “new form of McCarthyism” that threatened academic freedom and risked doxxing or harassment of faculty. Fakhreddine claimed the investigation was motivated by racial bias and aimed to suppress criticism of Israel.

The congressional probe, led by Rep. Virginia Foxx, requested materials related to antisemitic incidents, the Palestine Writes festival, and faculty activities, including Fakhreddine’s syllabi and emails since August 2023.

Campus Antisemitism and Penn’s Response

The University of Pennsylvania has faced intense scrutiny for its handling of antisemitism since October 7, 2023. A lawsuit filed by Jewish students, dismissed on June 5, 2025, alleged that Penn permitted a hostile environment for Jewish students, citing incidents like swastika graffiti, vandalism, and inflammatory rhetoric at protests.

Penn has implemented an Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism, condemned hate speech, and increased security measures. However, the university’s task force rejected the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, citing its “controversial” nature, a decision that drew criticism for weakening efforts to address anti-Jewish sentiment.

Fakhreddine still teaches a course titled “Arabic Readings in Belles-Lettres: Resistance from Pre-Islamic Arabia to Palestine,” which includes texts by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.

Despite these accusations, she remains employed at Penn. Social media posts on X have called for her deportation, citing her green card status and alleging she poses a danger to Penn and the U.S.