Anthony Zenkus is a senior lecturer at Columbia University’s School of Social Work who publicly spread anti-Israel rhetoric, minimized the threat posed by Hamas, and participated in the pro-Hamas encampment at Columbia during Israel’s war with Hamas following the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks.
Context: October 7 and Aftermath
Zenkus’s statements followed the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks against Israeli civilians, which included mass murder, rape, torture, beheadings, and kidnappings. Hamas killed more than 1,200 people, wounded thousands, and abducted hundreds, including children and the elderly.
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada, the European Union, Israel, and other governments. Founded in 1987, it has carried out suicide bombings, mass shootings, rocket attacks against civilians, and hostage-taking.
Anti-Israel and Anti-Zionist Statements
Zenkus used social media repeatedly during late 2023 to promote anti-Israel narratives and delegitimize Zionism.
On October 10, 2023, three days after the Hamas massacre, Zenkus posted that Israel had committed war crimes “for decades,” was illegally occupying land, and was an “apartheid regime.”
On October 31, 2023, he claimed that Israel was holding “several thousand Palestinian hostages” taken after October 7, asserting that their families had no information on their whereabouts.
That same day, Zenkus stated: “Zionism is racism. Zionism is apartheid.”
Zionism is the belief that Jews have the right to self-determination in their own national home and is a core component of Jewish identity for most Jews worldwide.
On November 13, 2023, Zenkus wrote that “Hamas is not an existential threat to the state of Israel,” instead blaming Israeli leadership.
On November 29, 2023, he claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “built up Hamas” and did not care about Israeli hostages.
On December 16, 2023, Zenkus argued that “one day of atrocities doesn’t justify 70 days of constant indiscriminate bombardment,” and on December 27, 2023, he accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing.”
Participation in Pro-Hamas Encampment at Columbia
In April 2024, Zenkus participated in the pro-Hamas encampment at Columbia University.
In a video recorded at the encampment, Zenkus said he was there to “stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine” and with students “putting everything on the line” for Gaza and the West Bank, stating that he had been present since the first day of the encampment.
The encampment was later dismantled by law enforcement following illegal occupation of campus property, vandalism, and safety concerns.
Professional Roles and Affiliations
As of January 23, 2024, Zenkus was listed on Columbia University’s website as a senior lecturer at the School of Social Work. Columbia University is located in New York City.
Zenkus is also listed as a senior lecturer at Adelphi University.
Outside academia, Zenkus serves as director of education for The Safe Center, a Long Island–based victims’ services organization providing support for survivors of family violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
His Columbia biography describes him as an “activist” focused on racial justice and income inequality and notes that he was trained by former Vice President Al Gore as a presenter for the Climate Reality Project. It also lists him as a former organizer with Occupy Wall Street.
Zenkus publicly endorsed Jill Stein during the 2024 presidential election. Stein is known for her anti-Israel positions.
Broader Pattern of Extremist and Controversial Views
Zenkus has a documented history of extreme and inflammatory public statements beyond Israel-related issues.
In October 2020, he stated that the American flag is a symbol of genocide, arguing that the United States was founded on centuries of slavery and genocide.
In April 2021, he claimed that “capitalism causes mental illness” and that psychiatry is a tool of inequality.
In January 2018, he asserted that slavery, genocide, and both World Wars were the result of capitalism.
In May 2016, Zenkus delivered a TEDx talk blaming capitalism for inequality and poverty.
In May 2020, a video narrated by Zenkus criticizing then-candidate Joe Biden on sexual violence issues was retweeted by Donald Trump’s campaign manager.
In December 2024, Zenkus faced significant backlash after a controversial public response to the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Archived posts also include a deleted tweet widely criticized as disrespectful toward the victims of the September 11 attacks.
Significance
Zenkus’s record reflects a pattern of ideological activism, extreme rhetoric, and repeated public statements minimizing or reframing terrorist violence, while he simultaneously holds instructional authority over students at a major university and leadership responsibilities at a victim-services organization.
