Minnesota college offers ‘Palestine’ course covering ‘ongoing genocide' in Gaza

Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, will offer a fall sociology course titled “Palestine,” focusing on topics like Israel’s “continued territorial expansion” and the “ongoing genocide of Palestinians.” Taught by Professor Khaldoun Samman, the course will explore the history of the conflict from the rise of Zionism and resistance, including Palestinian resistance and dissenting American Jewish voices. Students will analyze U.S. regional involvement and apply concepts such as biopolitics and necropolitics in the context of Israeli policies. The reading list includes books like How to Sell a Genocide by Adam Johnson and Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd, whose work has been criticized by Students Supporting Israel (SSI) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for allegedly justifying the October 7th attack and dismissing antisemitism concerns. SSI has called for the course’s cancellation, stating, “A course that begins by presenting the ‘ongoing genocide of Palestinians’ as fact and assigns materials that ‘dismantle Zionist propaganda,’ dismiss concerns of antisemitism, and rationalize armed resistance does not advance meaningful conflict resolution. It replaces education with ideology.” Lisa Anderson-Levy, executive vice president and provost, affirmed the college’s commitment to academic freedom, stating, “Our faculty are free to teach a wide range of materials, including subjects that may prompt thoughtful discussion or differing perspectives, without interference from the college administration.”