MIT faculty member Afif Aqrabawi faces controversy for comparing Israeli self-defense to Nazism, sparking debates on campus.

Who is Afif Aqrabawi?

Afif Aqrabawi, a postdoctoral associate at MIT, has drawn attention for controversial remarks regarding Israeli self-defense against Hamas. Following the horrific Hamas terror attacks that claimed over 1,200 Israeli lives in October 2023, Aqrabawi took to Twitter, stating, “Incredible how Western governments will gaslight their own populations to support Nazism, disguised as Israeli self-defense.”

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Aqrabawi’s comments, made just three days after the devastating attacks by Hamas, have raised concerns about his stance on Israel. His tweets accused Western governments of supporting Nazism under the guise of endorsing Israel’s self-defense during the war triggered by Hamas’ terrorism.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) defines one form of contemporary anti-Semitism as “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.” Aqrabawi’s statement aligns with this definition, adopted by the U.S. State Department in 2016.

On October 17, 2023, Aqrabawi further tweeted about an alleged strike on a Christian hospital in Gaza, labeling it as “Nazism.” Investigations later revealed that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) had misfired a rocket, but initial blame had been directed at Israel.

Expressing disdain for Zionism, Aqrabawi endorsed the chant “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free,” a call often associated with dismantling the State of Israel. His tweets also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing Zionism as a “mental illness.”

As of November 2023, Aqrabawi is associated with MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and has a background in neural circuit genetics, having received a PhD from the University of Toronto.

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Aqrabawi’s statements have ignited discussions about academic freedom, free speech, and appropriate conduct for faculty members, prompting reflections on the responsibilities associated with expressing personal views in an academic setting.