State: New York
City: New York City
Campus: New York University (NYU)
Sinclair Thomson is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at New York University (NYU). His record includes repeated support for anti-Israel activism on campus, signing petitions and letters that defend disruptive protests, legitimize antisemitic rhetoric, and push divestment demands targeting Israel. By giving faculty endorsement to these efforts, Thomson has helped normalize hostility toward Jewish students at NYU.
Defense of Campus Protests
In December 2024, Thomson signed a letter organized by NYU Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) objecting to faculty arrests and protest-related sanctions. Earlier, in April 2024, he signed a letter denouncing NYU leadership for what he called “repression of pro-Palestine activism” and raising “deep concern over the state of academic freedom.” He also signed a petition alleging that the “democratic rights of our graduate students are being suppressed” by opponents of anti-Israel activism.
Support for Divestment from Israel
Thomson signed petitions calling for NYU to “divest itself of any holdings it may have” in Israeli companies. These petitions aligned him with campus campaigns that demanded divestment from companies doing business with Israel, further fueling tensions and contributing to the broader climate of antisemitism on campus.
Endorsement of Salaita and Anti-Israel Letters
In August 2014, Thomson signed a petition by the BDS movement urging a boycott of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign until it reinstated Professor Steven Salaita, whose antisemitic tweets had led to his job offer being withdrawn. In July 2014, he signed an open letter to then-President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress that demonized Israel and called for an end to American aid.
Faculty Support for Occupation of Campus Building
In February 2009, Thomson signed a petition published by the U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. The petition expressed faculty support for students involved in the “Kimmel Occupation,” an NYU building takeover, and demanded that suspended students be reinstated.
Conclusion
Sinclair Thomson’s public record shows consistent alignment with campus movements that excuse or endorse antisemitic activism. By defending encampments, supporting divestment campaigns, and legitimizing faculty and student protests that harassed Jewish students, he has played a role in entrenching hostility toward Israel and Jews at NYU.
