James Schamus, a professor of film and media studies at Columbia University, openly supported the controversial pro-Hamas encampment at Columbia University in April 2024. Schamus referred to the student organizers as “brave truth-speaking young people” and stood with faculty who rallied in support of the encampment. The protest, which resulted in arrests and property damage, was heavily criticized for promoting extremist rhetoric and fostering a divisive, unsafe campus environment.
James Schamus Endorses Terrorism as “Resistance”
Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks, which involved mass murder, rape, and abductions, Schamus co-signed a faculty letter justifying the violence as a “military response” by an “occupied people.” The letter, which characterized the atrocities as legitimate resistance, sparked outrage for its insensitivity to the victims of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the country’s history. By framing terrorism as justified resistance, Schamus contributed to the normalization of extremist violence in academic discourse.
Promotion of Antisemitic Campaigns
Schamus has a long history of involvement with antisemitic activism at Columbia University. He played a key role in founding Columbia’s Center for Palestine Studies, which has been accused of promoting one-sided narratives and fostering hostility toward Jewish students on campus. He has also signed petitions demanding boycotts of Jewish cultural events.
Antisemitic Advocacy in Media and Academia
As a former board member of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an organization widely criticized for its alignment with extremist rhetoric, Schamus has consistently supported initiatives aimed at delegitimizing Jews. He has lent his voice to films and publications that demonize Jews, such as the antisemitic documentary Some of My Best Friends Are Zionists. Through his work as a filmmaker, academic, and activist, Schamus has used his platforms to perpetuate narratives that vilify Jews while downplaying the threat of terrorism and antisemitism.
