UC Berkeley advertises Lit course which praises Hamas as a 'revolutionary resistance force'

UC Berkley's Comparative Literature department advertised a course that described Hamas as "a revolutionary resistance force combating settler-colonialism" for Spring 2025. It has since adjusted the module's description online; however, it is unclear whether the course content will remain the same.

The course, titled "Leninism and Anarchism: A Theoretical Approach to Literature and Film," states it will explore the genocide of the "indigenous Palestinians by the Israeli Occupying Forces."

The course seemingly praises the "anarchist" practices of Hamas and other groups, saying they help "envision a better tomorrow."

UC Berkeley has since removed the course description.

Ynet contacted UC Berkeley, who said the description had been removed and the matter was being addressed.

A university official told Ynet, "While we can’t, as a matter of law, comment on personnel issues, generally speaking, we take our policies that prohibit using the classroom for political advocacy very seriously."

However, the official said it could not say more about the topic due to privacy laws.

Dismissing a lawsuit alleging campus antisemitism

Berkeley has tried on two separate occasions to get a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging campus antisemitism.

The nonprofit Louis D. Brandeis Center For Human Rights Under Law sued UC Berkeley in November 2023, claiming officials have turned a blind eye to antisemitism.