Prof. Rona Kaufman of the Center for Jewish Legal Studies about how anti-Zionism took hold in academia, why the legal system struggles to address modern antisemitism, and what new scholarship is needed to better protect Jewish students and communities. Kaufman explains how these ideas spread through universities into broader institutions, why Jews do not fit neatly into existing anti-discrimination frameworks, and how that affects cases involving coded anti-Jewish hostility. In the debrief, David and Phil reflect on Kaufman’s legal framework, the limits of courtroom solutions alone, and the wider cultural and political fight surrounding anti-Zionism and antisemitism. About the Guest Prof. Rona Kaufman is a law professor and the co-founder of the Center for Jewish Legal Studies, where she focuses on the intersection of antisemitism, anti-Zionism, and civil rights law. Her scholarship examines how contemporary forms of antisemitism appear in legal and academic settings, particularly on university campuses. Kaufman has written and spoken widely on discrimination law, Jewish identity in legal frameworks, and the challenges courts face in addressing modern anti-Jewish hostility. She is also a leading voice advocating for new legal scholarship to better understand and confront antisemitism in the 21st century.
00:00 Antisemitism’s Legal Fight – Episode Intro
01:36 Antizionism Origins in Western Academia
03:01 Ideological Influence in Universities
07:13 Campus Antisemitism and Law Schools
09:35 Rona Kaufman’s Zionist Identity
14:01 Antisemitism in U.S. Civil Rights Law
19:25 MIT Antisemitism Lawsuit Explained
21:51 Center for Jewish Legal Studies
29:49 Antizionism as a Legal Discrimination Issue
33:26 Debrief: Law, Politics, and Culture War