172: Professor David Hirsh, antisemitism in academia: becoming a professor despite the hostility

Jonny Gould's Jewish State

What happens in academia when the best minds are curbed by antisemitism and its modern day manifestation, antizionism? We all know the problems of campus antisemitism, more acute since October 7th.

It’s an honour to discuss and unpack academic antisemitism with world-renowned scholar on antisemitism, Professor David Hirsh.

Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London, David focuses on contemporary antisemitism, crimes against humanity and totalitarianism.

He's also Academic Director and CEO of the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and he founded "Engage," a campaign against the academic boycott of Israel.

David has a BSc from City University, London, an MA in Philosophy and Social Theory from the University of Warwick, and a PhD from Warwick where he wrote his dissertation on "Crimes Against Humanity and International Law."

He authored "Contemporary Left Antisemitism" exploring antisemitism on the left-wing and edited "The Rebirth of Antisemitism in the 21st Century: From the Academic Boycott Campaign into the Mainstream".

Despite his considerable achievements, his progress has been hampered by hate.

So how has he stuck at it? And what could he have been if he'd been allowed to use his intellect beyond the fight?

I met David at Action Matters in Vienna in December 2024, organized by ELNET, the European Leadership Network in partnership with the Combat Antisemitism Movement.

This episode is presented with the cooperation and support of ELNET UK, a bipartisan, cross-party international organisation working to advance UK-Israel relations based on shared democratic values and strategic interests.

Considering the awful and disturbing content of our conversation, it’s good humoured, lucid and I hope as you listen, highly informative and educational.

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