Summer Lee commends Carnegie Mellon professor for drawing parallels between Israel and Nazi Germany
‘Big news!’ Pennsylvania congresswoman celebrates promotion of antiracist professor Uju Anya to tenured professor
Pennsylvania congresswoman Summer Lee, who is facing a primary challenge driven by her hostility toward Israel, praised a Carnegie Mellon University professor who has compared the Jewish state to Nazi Germany.
Lee took to social media to congratulate Uju Anya, a self-described “antiracist feminist” who teaches language at the Pittsburgh college, for securing tenure. Anya has emerged as an outspoken critic of Israel following Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, routinely accusing the Jewish state of “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.” In a Nov. 6 post, Anya even compared Israel’s retaliatory war on Hamas to “the Nazi campaign to exterminate Jews.”
“Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin coined the term genocide in 1943 to describe the Nazi campaign to exterminate Jews,” Anya wrote. “Genocide describes, for example, the mass slaughter of 3 million Biafrans in Nigeria. Genocide also describes what the state of Israel is doing to people of Palestine.” Anya went on to argue that Israeli citizens and “Jewish people around the world” are uniting in opposition to the war on Hamas—more than 80 percent of American Jews support the war, according to a December poll, while 88 percent of Jewish Israelis approve of the Israeli military’s performance since Oct. 7.
Lee’s support for Anya—her Thursday post lauded the professor’s tenure announcement as “Big news!”—comes as the congresswoman navigates a difficult primary race against a Democratic challenger, Bhavini Patel, who has attacked Lee’s anti-Israel views.
Big news! Congratulations to Dr. Anya and a Happy Black History Month to us all! https://t.co/D3qmzPVdE3
— Summer Lee (@SummerForPA) February 1, 2024
Lee, a member of the left-wing “Squad” who was elected in 2022 with support from the Democratic Socialists of America, was one of just nine Democrats to vote against a bipartisan resolution “standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists.” Lee, like Anya, has also accused Israel of conducting “a genocide of innocent Gazans, half of them children.” In October, she falsely accused Israel of bombing a Gazan hospital, which she called “reprehensible and a war crime.”
Lee’s vote and anti-Israel rhetoric prompted criticism from Rabbi Seth Adelson of Pittsburgh’s Congregation Beth Shalom, who said he was “disappointed” Lee was not “more proactive” in supporting her district’s Jewish community. Forty Jewish leaders in Pittsburgh similarly skewered Lee in a November letter, which called on the congresswoman to “exercise better leadership and join her colleagues in upholding the moral obligation for Israel to protect its citizens against Hamas.”
Patel, a Pittsburgh-area borough councilwoman, has also attacked Lee’s anti-Israel stance, which she says “keeps coming up” in conversations with voters.
“Something that keeps coming up in my conversations is that congresswoman Lee continues to equivocate,” Patel told the New York Times in October. “We’re responding to something that is evil—the murder, rape, kidnapping of children, men, women, and grandparents. There shouldn’t be any equivocation on this.” Patel went on to accuse Lee of stoking “hatred and anti-Semitism” in a fiery candidate forum held last month.
Lee—whose district includes the Tree of Life synagogue, the site of the nation’s deadliest anti-Semitic attack—did not return a request for comment, while Anya declined to answer questions about her relationship with Lee. “F— you,” the professor wrote in an email to the Washington Free Beacon.
Anya publicly supported Lee’s 2022 campaign, and Lee took a photo with Anya at a campaign event held shortly after her election. Carnegie Mellon later issued a statement celebrating Lee’s “historic swearing-in.”
It’s #ElectionDay and I’m so excited to vote for *TWO* Black women progressives. Summer Lee for US Congress and La’Tasha D. Mayes for Pennsylvania State Representative. Bonus joy: La’Tasha is an out lesbian who ran on reproductive justice! Taking my children with me to the polls. pic.twitter.com/CV0f7jyReu
— Uju Anya (@UjuAnya) November 8, 2022
“We’ve never had a US representative so closely aligned with our progressive values,” Anya said in December 2022. “Excited for Summer Lee’s leadership and plans to move Pennsylvania and our Congressional District 12 forward.”
How has Congresswoman Lee’s support for Uju Anya’s promotion sparked controversy?
Big news! Pennsylvania congresswoman Summer Lee recently celebrated the promotion of Uju Anya, an antiracist professor, to tenured professor at Carnegie Mellon University. However, this announcement has sparked controversy due to Anya’s outspoken criticism of Israel and comparison of the country to Nazi Germany.
Anya, who describes herself as an “antiracist feminist,” has been teaching language at the Pittsburgh college and has gained attention for her views on Israel. Following Hamas’s attack in October, Anya has accused the Jewish state of “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.” In a social media post, she even compared Israel’s retaliatory war on Hamas to the Nazi campaign to exterminate Jews.
Anya’s comparison has drawn criticism from many who argue that it is inappropriate and minimizes the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term genocide, used it to describe the Nazi campaign against Jews.
Despite the controversy surrounding Anya’s views, Congresswoman Lee took to social media to congratulate her on securing tenure. Lee’s support for Anya comes at a crucial time, as she faces a difficult primary race against Democratic candidate Bhavini Patel. Patel has attacked Lee’s anti-Israel views, further adding fuel to the controversy.
Congresswoman Lee, a member of the left-wing “Squad” and elected with the support of the Democratic Socialists of America, has been vocal about her opposition to Israel. She was one of just nine Democrats who voted against a bipartisan resolution that expressed support for Israel as it defended itself against Hamas and other terrorists. Lee has accused Israel of conducting a genocide of innocent Gazans, including children, and falsely claimed that Israel bombed a Gaza hospital.
Lee’s anti-Israel rhetoric and voting record have drawn criticism from Jewish community leaders in her district. Rabbi Seth Adelson of Pittsburgh’s Congregation Beth Shalom expressed disappointment in Lee’s lack of support for the Jewish community, urging her to be more proactive. Forty Jewish leaders in Pittsburgh also penned a letter calling on Lee to exercise better leadership and recognize Israel’s moral obligation to protect its citizens against Hamas.
As the primary race heats up, the celebration of Anya’s promotion by Congresswoman Lee has further highlighted the ongoing debate surrounding Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. While freedom of speech and the encouragement of diverse opinions are important, it is crucial to approach sensitive topics with empathy and historical accuracy. The promotion of professors who perpetuate controversial views can lead to a divisive academic environment, requiring careful consideration by educational institutions.
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