University of Arizona (U of A) faculty members aligned with pro-Palestinian activism following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in 2023, newly uncovered emails showed.
The emails were obtained by FOIAzona founder Brian Anderson — but not without a fight. U of A refused to release the records for a year, until Anderson threatened legal action.
NEW 🚨 After a 1-year #FOIA fight, I have obtained 1,000 pages of internal emails exposing how @UArizona bent over backward for pro-Palestine activists after October 7
Incredibly grateful for @WSJ's editorial board writing about it in today's issue 1/4https://t.co/a2BbqIhb48 pic.twitter.com/dEm6WBkK2U
— Brian Anderson (@AZBrianAnderson) November 1, 2025
Anderson requested the records after U of A leadership voted against an anti-Semitism resolution last May. U of A did eventually send the records — over 1,000 pages — but they redacted most of the pro-Palestine faculty names in the records.
The vote occurred months after the terrorist organization Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel in October 2023. Per the Department of Justice (DOJ), Hamas killed approximately 1,200 individuals in the attack, which included 49 U.S. citizens. Hamas abducted approximately 250 other individuals, of which eight were U.S. citizens.
According to the emails obtained by Anderson, U of A faculty were angered by former U of A President Robert Robbins’ statement condemning Hamas and their supporters, namely Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) which he described as “antithetical” to U of A values.
Emails show faculty members made their complaints about Robbins’ remarks on SJP known to Leila Hudson, faculty chair and School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies professor.
It would be Hudson that much of the initiative on defending the pro-Palestinian faction on campus. She was also behind the decision to quash the anti-Semitism resolution last May — emails revealed that she wanted, instead, to expand the language to focus on administrative actions and police violence against student protesters.
As a faculty chair, Hudson has authority over university policymaking. That’s not the limit to Hudson’s authority, according to her.
In a recent feature article with The Arizona Daily Star, Hudson indicated that she and other elected faculty leaders had as much control over university governance as the president, and that the current president, Suresh Garimella, was “only here” because of the work that she and other elected faculty leaders did uncovering the previous administration’s issues.
“When faculty are not getting the information they want, they know to turn to us and that we can use our access and use our leverage to get information that people would like to have, or to spread information that faculty think the community should know about,” said Hudson.
“And, whether [Garimella] acknowledges it or not, this is how faculty governance and shared governance actually work. We have the pulse of the faculty especially when it’s difficult or challenging, and we will articulate those concerns.”
It appears other members of the faculty understand this power dynamic well.
One professor, whose name was redacted, complained to Hudson that Robbins’ statement had a “chilling of free speech” effect on SJP dissent, citing the SJP chapter at U of A’s decision to postpone a pro-Palestine protest. That individual announced they would be coordinating with other faculty and gathering information to file a complaint with Palestine Legal, the ACLU, and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR).
Following this complaint and others, Hudson responded to Robbins’ statement with a counter-statement.
“It is my sincere hope that I represent the faculty as well when, speaking for myself and for so many in our University community who have contacted me, I condemn with equal force the illegal violent collective punishment being visited upon the civilian population of the besieged Gaza Strip. War crimes and terrorism do not justify war crimes and terrorism,” said Hudson. “The University of Arizona must be a safe and inclusive space for all of us, where we are careful not to assign guilt by association or identity.”
Certain associations and identities made it clear they supported the violence and murder committed by Hamas. The Coalition of Black Students and Allies sent an email several weeks after the attack, calling it “a powerful emblem of Palestinian resistance, perseverance, and liberation for the people of Gaza and Palestinians everywhere” and condemning Robbins’ statement as “Zionist rhetoric.”
A Regent’s Professor of History, Julia Clancy-Smith, forwarded colleagues a fundraising request email from Amnesty International denouncing the Israeli government’s response “in the occupied West Bank” to the Hamas attack.
And after two U of A professors — Rebecca Lopez and Rebecca Zapien — were suspended for teaching their class that Hamas wasn’t a terrorist group and encouraging students to boycott Israel and attend pro-Hamas rallies, fellow Palestine supporters consulted with Hudson about how to identify the individual who obtained and leaked the recording of Lopez and Zapien to the Israel War Room account on X.
Hudson agreed to have the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) Committee on Academic Freedom (CAF) investigate.
“That would be excellent to have MESA’s CAF look into the issue,” said Hudson. “Let me consult further with the principals before proceeding.”
In an education class at @uarizona, these professors chose to discuss the current Israel-Gaza war and the broader Israeli/Palestinian conflict. What was shared was an entirely BIASED, ANTISEMITIC, BLATANTLY FALSE, and TERRORISM-SUPPORTING narrative. Listen for yourself. 🧵
(1/9) pic.twitter.com/rF4EQ9j5nC— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 12, 2023
Hudson interviewed with multiple media outlets to defend Lopez and Zapien. In emails, Hudson encouraged faculty to take a similar approach to the two educators by teaching students about the reasons Hamas committed their attack. Upon the reinstatements of Lopez and Zapien, Hudson sent them an email of support.
“It’s been a privilege to stand with you in this harrowing episode,” said Hudson.
Hudson went on to form a Campus Climate response team to take action against speech critical of pro-Palestinian stances. The response team resulted in a legal threat from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
Gee, color me surprised, NOT. What a waste most universities are now. Just money pit’s and indoctrination centers. Not worth the money or time to be there. Let them rot in their own messes……they so richly deserve it.
as we watch cities and states become ‘communist’ foot holds – understand – we are the nation of “Mystery Babylon” where in not far over the horizon Jews & Christians will be exterminated for their beliefs. What happens – The “Destruction” of Mystery Babylon as described in Revelations by name. READ IT FOR YOURSELF. Just over our time horizon – I hope in my age I am here for that moment… better yet – that I have the opportunity to move to Israel in this my latter years. Thank you LORD JESUS!
Charlie Kirk and Tulsi Gabbard were there in 2024 and they had quite a crowd! There are many it seems who don’t go along with all that nonsense. Praying for people to wake up!
How close we are to being a failed nation. U of A is a tool of anti American influences within our country and from foreign countries. When I was a child & teenage student I was educated in public school by a mixture of teachers who grew up largely before the beginning of WWII. But by high school those teachers included those who were born during the war. Many of them had dabbled in drugs during college. They were easy prey for being indoctrinated into theories antithetical to the principles of independence freedom and personal responsibility associated with being a citizen of a Republic. These people became indoctrinated by Marxists and Communists. As the decades passed they then replaced education curriculum with anti American ideologies. So between the time when the Carter Adm created the dept of education and 2000 America was producing increased numbers of uneducated ill prepared students who were completely ignorant and intolerant of all aspects of American culture society and their civic responsibilities. In 2009 Mr & Mrs Obama being products of the ideological indoctrination system represented the most divisive influence on American society since the anarchy movements of the early 20th century. The media broadcasts showed school age students being let out of school to purposefully protest in the streets of Portland Oregon in support of Obama’s ideological opinions. Now this anti American activism has intersected with hatred & violence directed at Jews Christians and America. America is the greatest nation. But for it to be a beacon of hope its citizens must be knowledgeable about our country and be willing to help keep it a great place. Globalism and these other destructive ideologies must be confronted with reality and truth. We can’t bury our heads in the sand. That attitude concedes defeat of our republic. I appreciate this article.
I wrote this 2024 op-ed (below) on UA’s new Prez, with past links to 5 yrs past work on UA inside the article. Defund UA, Defund Tucson, build a physical bypass around the place; it needs to ferment & cook. https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2024/08/10/ua-gets-new-badass-prez-rollback-the-woke-bloat-mediocrity-rot/
As I indicated in the past this stuff has existed at the univ since the late 60’s, so this did not surprise me at all. Back then it was against the VN war, black issues the same stuff we hear today. I had profs who did little teaching/lectoring so the TA’s carried the load. Had a guy named John Heard come into a class and challenge the professor who told him to get out of the room (imagine that happening today) he was a WW2 vet and didnt take the guys BS. Then along the line they set up speakers corners by the student union, then we had the ones protesting rotc at old main. Indoctrination has gotten more important then teaching it seems. One prof actually told me that although we have diametrically opposed views he had to give me the grade I deserved inspite of it. Yes this was an indoctrinator who tried to push the french failure of DIEN BEN FU, the rightiousness of the
hanoi leader of the time (ho chi min). I had a friend who had just gotten sent back due to stepping on a mine and loosing his leg so I told him (in class) he was wrong and he didnt like it. He would assign reports and if you agreed you got a & b’s, I wrote these idiots didnt know anything and got c’s!. Anyhow the us has not been a bastion of education (my degree) for a long time. Guess once imbedded they cant be changed?
And I pray you write a book on history! Thanks for all you reveal. It is appreciated.
DIEN BEN FU, the rightiousness of the hanoi leader of the time (ho chi min). Please keep in mind “HO” got a degree from “MIT” – he defeated JAPAN in Vietnam WWII – the FRENCH wanted ‘bootie’ and the “RUBBER NATION” was given to them. Dien Ben Fu was/is 35 miles WEST of Hanoi! The FRENCH built Hanoi Harbor and Airbase. The War ‘ of which I am a COMBAT VETERAN ‘ was a joke on America. I was “pro-war” and still am. The LBJ lead nation put us in that war – Kennedy rejected and was killed for.. the next “DAY” the Gulf of Tonkin was written into history.. Lots of my friends and other folks friends and family died in that war – supporting the decisions of our “ELDERS” – turned out to be ASSHOLES ! No regrets from this vet RA ARMY – did everything that was requested in the best manner I could provide that service.
And the truly sad part about all of this is that we allow this type of dirt to teach our young hate.
We do not allow, it is foisted upon us. Unfortunately, we do not have a say. One way to escape that is not to send a kid to any of these universities, not to provide any other financial support and vehemently criticize and oppose them.