Melani McAlister is a professor at George Washington University (GWU) specializing in U.S. cultural and political engagement with the Middle East. She is also on the board of editors of the American Historical Review and has long been involved with the Middle East Studies Association’s Committee on Academic Freedom. Beyond her academic work, McAlister has repeatedly aligned herself with campus movements that target Israel and Jewish students under the banner of “activism.”
Participation in the Pro-Hamas Encampment at GWU
In April 2024, McAlister was spotted at the GWU encampment in support of pro-Palestinian demonstrators. She held a Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) sign while police conducted arrests at the site. Her visible presence as a faculty member provided legitimacy to a protest movement tied to extreme rhetoric, intimidation of Jewish students, and disruption of campus life.
Public Support for Anti-Israel Narratives
McAlister has a long record of amplifying rhetoric against Israel. In August 2015, she tweeted that Israel practices “apartheid,” directly invoking a false narrative used to delegitimize the Jewish state. In July 2014, she circulated a video that misrepresented Israel’s military actions in Gaza, framing them as unjustified aggression. And in November 2015, she shared a letter authored by Nadia Abu El-Haj, which denied the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland and described Jewish statehood as inherently racist.
Pledging Support to Anti-Israel Groups
McAlister also pledged in September 2016 to donate money to Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an organization notorious for its hostility toward Israel, every time Canary Mission highlighted extremist propaganda circulated by her colleague Elliot Colla. This public pledge reinforced her alignment with some of the most aggressive anti-Israel networks operating on and off campus.
Promotion of Anti-Israel Literature and Events
In October 2024, McAlister published Promises, then the Storm: Notes on Memory, Protest, and the Israel-Gaza War. The book examined global responses to the Gaza war but also furthered activist talking points that mirrored the encampments she supported. As part of promoting the book, she participated in multiple events and lectures that spotlighted anti-Israel protest movements.
Conclusion
Melani McAlister’s participation in the GWU encampment, her amplification of antisemitic narratives online, and her public endorsement of groups like JVP mark her as a faculty member who actively legitimizes radical campus activism. By aligning herself with organizations and rhetoric that demonize Israel and undermine Jewish self-determination, McAlister contributes to an academic environment that fosters antisemitism under the guise of scholarship and activism.
