Orian Zakai is an Israeli author, poet, and scholar of Hebrew literature who serves as an Associate Professor of Hebrew Literature and Culture at George Washington University. Born October 6, 1974, in Kibbutz Dan, Israel, she once served in the Israeli military as a secretary. Despite her background, Zakai has become a vocal critic of Israel’s government and military, using her academic platform and public presence to promote narratives that highlight Palestinian suffering and condemn Israeli policy. Her writing and activism frequently center on “academic freedom,” both in the U.S. and Israel, often defending faculty and students who face backlash for anti-Israel expression.
Record of Advocacy & Ideological Bias
Publications and Commentaries
Nov 2024: Signed an open letter titled “U.S. Faculty to University and College Presidents Nationwide: Defend Our Campuses by Contesting—Not Capitulating to—Authoritarianism and Repression.” The letter criticized university responses to pro-Palestinian protests and accused administrators of stifling academic freedom.
Apr 2024: Signed an open letter by American academics to President Biden demanding an “Immediate Ceasefire, Restoration of Humanitarian Aid, and a Just Resolution in Israel-Palestine.” The statement echoed activist talking points while omitting any reference to Hamas terrorism or the October 7 massacres.
Apr 2024: Added her name to an open letter from faculty and staff across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region, expressing solidarity with pro-Palestinian activism and condemning U.S. support for Israel.
Sep 2023: Signed an open letter organized by the Academic Advisory Council of Jewish Voice for Peace, defending the Palestine Writes Literature Festival at the University of Pennsylvania and accusing critics of “accepting without evidence” that the event would foster antisemitism.
Jun 2019: Signed an open letter to the German government urging rejection of the Bundestag resolution that equated BDS with antisemitism. The letter advocated continued funding for pro-BDS NGOs and groups that “peacefully challenge the Israeli occupation” and “expose violations of international law.”
Oct 2018: Signed a petition calling on Israel to permit pro-BDS American student Lara Alqasem to enter the country to study at Hebrew University, framing her detention as a violation of academic freedom.
May 2016: Signed an open letter calling for the release of Imad Ahmad Barghouti, a professor convicted of incitement and known supporter of Hamas, portraying his imprisonment as an attack on free expression.
Social Media and Public Messaging
Zakai’s public posts focus heavily on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Her online presence emphasizes Palestinian suffering, condemns Israeli military actions, and criticizes both the Israeli government and press coverage that she believes “ignores” Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. She frequently frames her commentary around the theme of censorship—portraying both Israeli and U.S. institutions as silencing academics who challenge Israel’s policies.
Orian Zakai’s record illustrates how an academic with Israeli citizenship can become a key figure in promoting anti-Israel narratives from within American institutions. Through petitions, letters, and public advocacy, she consistently aligns with organizations that support BDS and defend individuals tied to Hamas or pro-BDS activism. Her ongoing use of “academic freedom” as a shield for political agitation reflects a growing trend of faculty weaponizing scholarship to advance one-sided, highly politicized agendas against Israel.
