U of T called out for ‘despicable’ research group dedicated to anti-Zionism theories

The University of Toronto has been called out by prominent leaders on social media for its “despicable” research group dedicated to anti-Zionism theories, as explained in its description.

The working group, titled Bridging Theories of Anti-Zionism, is comprised of grad students and faculty at the university’s Jackman Humanities Institute who conduct research and engage in scholarly exchanges.

In the group’s description online, it asks the question: “What does it mean to critique Zionism as a political ideology, and how have the last three years of genocide in Palestine changed the scholarly engagement with this question?”

It explains: “This working group seeks to map these varied streams of anti-Zionist thought and construct a critical genealogy that can inform contemporary scholarship across multiple fields.”

The webpage is no longer available online.

Dr. David Jacobs, part of U of T’s governing council and president of the Ontario Association of Radiologists, said in a social media post on Wednesday that he would be “remiss” in his duties if he “stayed silent on this latest working group.”

He pointed out that he would expect the university not to “indulge in this type of activity,” given the 2026 Canadian Heritage federal report that found 95.7 per cent of Jewish post-secondary students in Canada experienced or witnessed antisemitism on campus over the prior year.

I would be remiss in my duties as a University of Toronto Governor if I stayed silent on this latest working group.

After the 2026 Canadian Heritage federal report revealed that 95.7% of Jewish post-secondary students in Canada experienced or witnessed antisemitism on campus… pic.twitter.com/zOG3oPWrkc

— David Jacobs (@DrJacobsRad) September 17, 2026

Richard Marceau, author and vice-president at Canadian advocacy group Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, also posted on X.

“This is despicable, (U of T),” he wrote.

“Zionism is simply the modern expression of the connection between a people — the Jewish people — and a land — the Land of Israel. That connection has been central to Jewish identity and Judaism since antiquity,” he continued.

“This is not scholarship. It is anti-Jewish activism masquerading as legitimate academic work.”

This is despicable, @UofT.

Zionism is simply the modern expression of the connection between a people—the Jewish people—and a land—the Land of Israel. That connection has been central to Jewish identity and Judaism since antiquity.

This is not scholarship. It is anti-Jewish… pic.twitter.com/7unt5phXfQ

— Richard Marceau (@richardmarceau) September 16, 2026

Casey Babb, a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said on X that he was “disgusted.”

“Less than 24 hours after I spoke at (U of T) about the civilizational dangers of antizionism, I’ve come to learn that the university has created a new working group to defend and actually legitimize this hate movement. Note the genocide reference on the page,” he wrote.

A spokesperson for the University of Toronto told National Post in an emailed statement that “the existence of a research group examining theories of anti-Zionism does not imply institutional endorsement of the views expressed by its individual participants.”

“The university takes persistent action to address discrimination and harassment against Jewish and Israeli members of our community, including conduct directed at individuals because they identify as Zionist,” said the statement.

The spokesperson did not provide comment on if the webpage had been intentionally taken down.

Director of the Jackman Humanities Institute, professor Randy Boyagoda, said in a statement that the institute “affirms the academic freedom of the individual faculty members involved with all of its working groups and does not endorse particular perspectives associated with any of them.”

“The JHI receives proposals from faculty members seeking to convene working groups on various subjects,” he said. “These proposals are assessed by fellow faculty members. As the new director, I have focused on the re-conceptualization and renewal of the JHI’s programming since taking up my appointment in July. This includes working groups, among other activities.”