State: New York
City: New York City
Campus: New York University (NYU)
Nikhil Pal Singh is an associate professor of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University (NYU). Beyond his academic position, Singh has a long record of demonizing Israel, dismissing Jewish historical ties to the land, and promoting campaigns that foster hostility toward Jewish and pro-Israel students. He also serves as an advisory board member of the U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI), aligning himself with efforts to delegitimize Israel within academia.
Demonizing Israel
Singh’s public statements repeatedly go beyond criticism of policy into antisemitic delegitimization:
In 2009, he signed a letter to President Obama accusing Israel of perpetrating “one of the most massive, ethnocidal atrocities of modern times.”
In a 2012 interview, he dismissed the Jewish connection to Hebron as “bizarre” and described Jewish claims to the land of Israel as “bogus historical claims.”
In a July 2012 account of a USACBI delegation trip, Singh compared Israeli policies to those of the Nazis and described them as “totalitarian.” He also alleged an “ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestine.”
He misrepresented security measures such as demolition of terrorists’ homes and eviction of squatters in East Jerusalem as examples of “Israeli brutality.”
These statements echo antisemitic propaganda by denying Jewish history and equating Israel with genocidal regimes.
Pushing Campus Boycotts
Singh has played a direct role in promoting academic boycotts that target Israel while ignoring terrorism and incitement on Palestinian campuses. He was a signatory to the Association of Asian American Studies (AAAS) resolution of April 20, 2013—the first North American academic organization to formally endorse a boycott of Israeli universities.
The resolution included widely discredited maps portraying Israel as “stolen Palestinian land.” These maps were later retracted by MSNBC and led to McGraw-Hill Education recalling a textbook for inaccuracies.
The resolution falsely claimed that Israeli policies alone restrict Palestinian education, omitting the role of terrorism and militant control of campuses.
By endorsing such resolutions, Singh lent academic credibility to misleading narratives that vilify Israel while erasing the context of terrorism.
Defending Antisemitic Speech
Singh has also defended individuals who crossed into open antisemitism. He signed a petition supporting Steven Salaita after the University of Illinois rescinded his job offer in 2014 due to antisemitic tweets, including: “I wish all the f**king West Bank settlers would go missing.” At a November 19, 2014 event at the New School, Singh portrayed Salaita as a victim of “U.S. violence” and praised his case as a model for “solidarities.” By normalizing Salaita’s conduct, Singh signaled that antisemitic rhetoric should be protected and even celebrated in academic spaces.
Conclusion
Nikhil Pal Singh’s record reveals an academic who repeatedly delegitimizes Israel, denies Jewish history, and excuses antisemitic speech under the cover of academic freedom. His endorsements of boycotts, distorted historical claims, and defense of extremist voices contribute to a campus environment where Jewish students are vilified, marginalized, and made to feel unsafe.
