Arizona State University has dismissed a scholar for verbally attacking woman in hijab [Getty]
Arizona State University (ASU) announced that a postdoctoral research scholar would no longer be teaching at the university after a video of him verbally assaulting a woman in a hijab went viral.
In a statement released on Thursday, ASU President Michael Crow said Jonathan Yudelman was “no longer permitted to be on campus and will never teach here again.”
The statement was issued after ASU had placed Yudelman on leave and launched an investigation into his harassment the Muslim woman at a pro-Palestine march, which he was counter-protesting.
In the video, the woman is being followed by a group of pro-Israel protesters, and Yudelman can be seen shouting aggressively at her, leading to widespread condemnation and calls for him to be punished.
“You don’t like it, go back to Jihad, I’m literally in your face,” Yudelman says while aggressively extending his arms around the woman who is trying to get away from him.
Yudelman, accompanied by Sammy Ben, a reserve soldier in the Israeli army, then cornered the woman by a tree, blocking her escape.
“You’re disrespecting my religious boundaries,” the distressed woman said while backing away.
“You disrespect my sense of humanity, b*tch, get the f*ck out of here,” Yudelman replied, continuing to invade the woman’s personal space.
Yudelman taught two courses at ASU, including Great Debates in American Politics and Great Ideas of Politics and Ethics.
College professor Jonathan Yudelman
hounding a Muslim woman and calling her a bitch.Is he making the university safe? Will there be any repercussions?! Condemnations?
pic.twitter.com/y6wAdzfer4— Aya Hijazi آية حجازي 🇵🇸 (@ItsAyaHijazi) May 6, 2024
His profile on the University of Austin website lists him as an assistant professor of Political Theory in Intellectual Foundations.
The professor’s dismissal coincides with growing US campus protests demanding a Gaza ceasefire and divestment from Israel-linked companies.
Over 2,000 people have been arrested since the start of the protests, with no signs of them waning.
The protest encampments come as Israel continues its bombardment and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, killing over 34,900 Palestinians over the past seven months.
Additionally, 78,000 have been wounded, and Gaza’s Civil Defence crews report that at least 10,000 people remain under the rubble.