A battle has erupted in Brooklyn College over the appointment of a pro-Palestinian activist to teach a graduate seminar on Middle East politics, with a focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict. A political science student enrolled in the class raised concerns over the syllabus, writings and anti-Israel leanings of the instructor, Kristofer Petersen-Overton, who is a 26-year-old graduate student himself.
After receiving multiple letters of protest over the appointment, including one from New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, the college rescinded the appointment -- a move that was subsequently reversed. The seminar will convene for its first class on Thursday. Meanwhile, students are petitioning the Brooklyn College administration and president Karen Gould to review and revise the slanted course syllabus.
