Credit points for antisemitism: A report revealing what is happening inside US universities
A new study by the ADL's Center for Combating Antisemitism reveals that an organized network of lecturers at leading US universities has turned classrooms into a scene of antisemitic abuse.
The ADL's Center for Combating Antisemitism in Education, with the support of the ADL's Center on Extremism, has launched "When Antisemitism Comes to Class," an initiative designed to help colleges and universities address antisemitism where it is increasingly taking root: inside classrooms, academic institutions, and organized academic networks.
The initiative includes two new research reports, practical guidelines for higher education administrators, and the launch of the Campus Classroom Reporting (CCR) mechanism, a confidential channel for students, faculty, and staff to report antisemitism in classrooms or curricula.
The new ADL report, "Antisemitism Among Faculty and in the Classroom: Trends, Patterns, and Institutional Dynamics," examines how faculty conduct and academic governance structures affect the experience of Jewish and Israeli students. The research points to less visible institutional dynamics that have a significant impact on the campus climate.
"Antisemitism does not appear only in student protest chants; it can appear in a syllabus, in a lecture, in a comment that seems innocent on the surface, or in a coordinated network of professors acting against the very existence of Israel," said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the ADL. "Universities cannot claim they are seriously dealing with antisemitism if they ignore what is happening behind the classroom door."
A syllabus of terror and academic pressure
The report's key findings include recurring patterns:
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A one-sided presentation of reality, where controversial political claims regarding Israel and Zionism in syllabi at institutions such as Stanford, Princeton, and UC Berkeley are presented as established facts.
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Introducing narratives supporting terror into curricula, including reading materials by leaders of terrorist organizations such as the PFLP, and glorification of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
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Academic incentives pressuring students to align with certain positions, such as granting extra credit for participating in anti-Israel strikes and demonstrations.
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Singling out Jewish and Israeli students in class, labeling them as "occupiers" or "murderers" due to their national origin or military service.
The role of organized networks
Concurrently, the report "The Faculty Factor: Inside the Networks Driving Anti-Israel and Anti-Zionist Activism on Campuses" documents how faculty groups and unions have become a central force in anti-Israel activity, providing institutional backing to protect activists from disciplinary measures.
Oren Segal, ADL Senior Vice President for the Center on Extremism, noted: "The hostile environment on campuses is not accidental, but the result of organized and well-funded networks. When faculty members use their status to protect activists from accountability, it is a failure to provide equal protection for all students."
The ADL documented 1,694 antisemitic incidents on US campuses in 2024 and 583 in 2025. The new CCR mechanism aims to address this, as the vast majority of students who witness or experience antisemitism have historically not reported incidents due to a lack of accessible channels.
