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More than 100 Duke University alumni and parents have signed a letter to the university, expressing serious concerns about what they describe as “extremism” by Frances Hasso, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies. The letter encapsulates details that I initially reported. It articulates serious concerns regarding Hasso’s upcoming instruction of the school’s Global Palestine course this Fall. They write: |
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Professor Hasso has a long and public history of hostility and antipathy toward Israel and Zionists. In just the past year and a half, Professor Hasso has questioned allegations of rape and sexual torture of Israelis from Hamas on October 7 asserting “No one was raped on October 7.” Hasso recently shared a post alleging that “Israel keeps trying to kill Israeli hostages… all as [an] excuse to prolong the Genocidal plan of erasing two million Palestinians from Gaza. Israel’s priorities are Nazi’s war-time policies – fastracking Genocide (Final Solution).” She also previously posted on X: “HAMAS OFFICIALLY DEFEATS ISRAEL!” and “The US empire cannot end soon enough.” |
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The alumni and parents add: |
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Surely Duke can find a more qualified and objective teacher for such a sensitive subject matter… At an absolute minimum, it should be co-taught by a historian with a background in Israeli and Middle Eastern studies to counter Professor Hasso’s extremism.
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Following my reports earlier this month, additional information regarding Hasso has come to light. Earlier this week, and also in February, Hasso publicly referred to Israel as “Israhell.” In February, she posted, “Zionists should zip it, always” and earlier this month reposted, “It is our duty to confront zionists wherever they appear [sic].” I firmly believe that Duke administrators would consider such statements — if directed towards any other group of people, such as Palestinians or Muslims — to be hostile. The vast majority of American Jews support Israel. How exactly are Jewish and pro-Israel students expected to feel welcomed and valued in Hasso’s class, and in the gender studies department with her publicly stated belief that “Zionists should zip it, always”? In April, Hasso alleged that Israel or Jews may have employed a “tactical nuke” in Lebanon. She wrote on X, “Thinking abt [about] ’20 Beirut port explosion, framed as corruption, but prob Zio use of tactical nuke.” As reported by the BBC and Scientific American, tactical nuclear weapons have never been deployed in warfare, and no nuclear weapon has been utilized in conflict since World War II. An investigation by Human Rights Watch, an organization recognized for its highly critical stance towards Israel, found that the 2020 Beirut port explosion was a “non-nuclear explosion” and attributed responsibility to Lebanese officials, recommending they face sanctions. Yet Hasso publicly says that the port explosion in Beirut is probably due to “Zio use of tactical nuke.” Even if she were to later claim this was an exaggeration, this is clearly a hostile and aggressive environment for any student who supports Israel’s right to exist, like the vast majority of Jews, and also the vast majority of Americans. In a further escalation of her assertion, Hasso employed the antisemitic term “Zio” in her statement. The Jewish Journal explains Zio is “a derogatory code word for Jews invented by white supremacists.” Hasso has repeatedly made social media posts using this despicable slur. In 2023, Hasso made a social media post calling the Auschwitz Memorial account on X “bullshit.” On Sunday, Hasso reposted, “Israel and America are two of the most evil countries in the world.” How can any students — besides that hate both America and Israel — feel they are in an open learning environment when they study with Hasso? The Duke alumni and parents concluded their letter to President Price by writing: |
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We appreciate your leadership at Duke in preventing the campus antisemitism that has plagued so many other elite US universities. We continue to fully support your efforts to ensure that Duke remains a welcoming place for all students, including Jewish and pro-Israel students. We hope that you will agree that this course taught by Professor Hasso would surely not be commensurate with that important goal. |
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Given the prolonged time that Hasso has been allowed to spew these views, it is time for Duke President Vincent Price and his senior administration to be considered complicit. If Duke does not take serious action, the Federal government should focus on the Duke administration, much as it has done with Harvard and Columbia. Peter Reitzes writes about issues related to antisemitism and Israel. |
Alumni/Parent LetterMay 22, 2025 Mr. Vincent Price President – Duke University 207 Allen Building, Box 90001 Durham, NC 27708-0001 Dear President Price, We are writing to you as concerned alumni and parents of current Duke students about a freshman Constellations course for the upcoming fall term–Global Palestine (AMES 148CN). The course description appears to tie to Palestine a mix of subjects including gender and feminism, settler-colonialism, and indigenous solidarity and will be taught by Professor Frances Hasso in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. Duke deserves commendation for fostering a learning environment where diverse evidence-based viewpoints are welcome. And Duke is clearly outperforming most of its peer universities when it comes to striking a proper balance between academic freedom and the classroom experience of its students. We also support the noble concept of first year constellation courses in order for students to learn to utilize tangible evidence as they navigate complex global issues from multiple perspectives. That is why this course seems so anomalous and offensive. Professor Hasso has a long and public history of hostility and antipathy toward Israel and Zionists. In just the past year and a half, Professor Hasso has questioned allegations of rape and sexual torture of Israelis from Hamas on October 7 asserting “No one was raped on October 7.”; Hasso recently shared a post alleging that “Israel keeps trying to kill Israeli hostages… all as [an] excuse to prolong the Genocidal plan of erasing two million Palestinians from Gaza. Israel’s priorities are Nazi’s war-time policies – fastracking Genocide (Final Solution).” She also previously posted on X: “HAMAS OFFICIALLY DEFEATS ISRAEL!” and “The US empire cannot end soon enough.” There are many additional posts that demonstrate her extreme views. And while Professor Hasso is entitled to her opinions (however disagreeable and disconcerting many of us find them) she should not have the right to teach a class about Palestine unless it is evidence-based and within the boundaries of scholarly discourse. Professor Hasso’s social media posts and her inability or unwillingness to accept facts (like what occurred on October 7) clearly violates that ideal. It is not a stretch to think that many recent antisemitism events on other university campuses may have had genesis in such indoctrinating courses. Surely Duke can find a more qualified and objective teacher for such a sensitive subject matter– if this course must be offered at all. At an absolute minimum, it should be co-taught by a historian with a background in Israeli and Middle Eastern studies to counter Professor Hasso’s extremism. Once again we appreciate your leadership at Duke in preventing the campus antisemitism that has plagued so many other elite US universities. We continue to fully support your efforts to ensure that Duke remains a welcoming place for all students, including Jewish and pro-Israel students. We hope that you will agree that this course taught by Professor Hasso would surely not be commensurate with that important goal. Many thanks for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, |
