politics
April 3, 2026
University of Washington professor fired from director job after sending email criticizing Iran war
Aria Fani of University of Washington’s Middle East Center is latest critic of Israel to lose position at US university
TL;DR
- University of Washington professor Aria Fani removed as director of Middle East Center for criticizing US-Israeli actions in newsletters.
- Fani's dismissal is one of at least three recent incidents where higher education faculty faced suspension or dismissal for opposing US-Israeli actions.
- Other faculty facing similar actions include Idris Robinson at Texas State University and Shirin Saeidi at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
- Universities are reportedly cracking down on pro-Palestinian speech, leading to increased censorship allegations, especially since October 7, 2023.
- Organizations like Palestine Legal report a significant increase in faculty seeking legal help for disciplinary actions related to speech on Palestine.
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