What Harvard’s Antisemitism and Islamophobia Reports Get Wrong

Occupied Thoughts

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Dr. Lara Jirmanus and Professor Atalia Omer about the Harvard University's two new reports, one on Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias and the other on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. They discuss the quality of the reports, how the antisemitism report erases Jews who are critical of Israel, and what the potential impact is for a report on Islamophobia, anti-Arab and Anti-Palestinian bigotry. For more, see the two Harvard reports: Combating Anti-Muslim, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Palestinian Bias" and "Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias." Dr. Lara Jirmanus is a family physician and a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School. Lara has been involved in grassroots organizing, advocacy and research for many years, addressing worker and immigrant rights in the US, infectious diseases in Brazil and the impact of conflict and displacement in the Middle East. She recently published "Harvard talks free speech but silences Palestine" (Al Jazeera May 7, 2025). Atalia Omer, PhD is professor of religion, conflict, and peace studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame and a core faculty member of the Keough School’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Her research focuses on religion, violence, and peacebuilding as well as theories and methods in the study of religion and Palestine/Israel. Atalia earned her PhD in religion, ethics, and politics from the Committee on the Study of Religion at Harvard University and she was, until recently, a senior fellow at Harvard Divinity School’s Religion and Public Life’s Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative. Atalia is also on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Middle East Peace. She recently published "I’m an Israeli professor. Why is my work in Harvard’s antisemitism report?" (The Guardian, May 9, 2025.) Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.