Just days after a blog she wrote was published saying, “the images from October 7 of paragliders evading Israeli air defenses were for many of us exhilarating,” a Professor of Politics at Hobart and William Smith Colleges was relieved of her teaching responsibilities over the weekend.
The piece “Palestine Speaks for Everyone” was posted online by Verso Books, a self-described left-wing publishing house, and included Jodi Dean writing, “Who could not feel energized seeing oppressed people bulldozing the fences enclosing them, taking to the skies in escape, and flying freely through the air?”
On October 7th, Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped around 250 more in a surprise attack that included the use of paragliders with Hamas fighters on board who murdered concertgoers at an outdoor music festival.
In a letter to the Colleges community, President Mark Gearan said not only was he in complete disagreement with Professor Dean but also found her comments “repugnant.” Gearan added he wanted to make clear these are Dean’s personal views and not those of HWS. Gearan said the Colleges will never condone or praise violence, particularly when that violence is directed at individuals based on religion, race, or national origin.
The letter from President Gearan can be read below:
On Saturday, Dean posted this on her X social media account:
