Marianne Hirsch, a leading genocide scholar at Columbia University and daughter of Holocaust survivors, is reconsidering her teaching role after the university adopted a new definition of antisemitism that equates certain criticisms of Israel with hate speech. Hirsch and other academics fear the new policy will stifle open discussion and academic freedom, particularly regarding topics like the Holocaust and Israel's history. The policy, based on a framework promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, was adopted as part of a settlement with the Trump administration, which had threatened to withhold federal funding. Critics, including the definition's original drafter, warn that its use as a disciplinary tool will suppress pro-Palestinian speech and expose faculty to increased scrutiny and legal risks. Columbia has also implemented new oversight of its Middle East studies department and stricter protest rules, leading to suspensions and expulsions of students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.