U.S. Universities Grapple With Definition of Zionism

Haverford College, a small liberal arts institution in Pennsylvania, has become part of a broader US debate over how universities address antisemitism, Zionism and discrimination following its settlement of a lawsuit brought by members of its Jewish community.

Haverford College has adopted new measures addressing antisemitism and discrimination following a settlement with members of its Jewish community. [Photo: Haverford College]

On Aug. 7, 2026, Haverford President Wendy Raymond said the college and The Deborah Project had reached an agreement resolving litigation concerning allegations of antisemitism.

Raymond said students who are Jewish, Israeli or who support Zionism are welcome at Haverford and should have equal access to the college’s educational programs and activities.

Raymond defined Zionism in the statement as “the right of the Jewish people to self-determination and statehood in the land of Israel.”

The college also said that harassment, exclusion or efforts to silence Jewish community members based on their beliefs, including Zionism, violate its principles and policies.

The lawsuit, filed in 2024, accused Haverford of failing to adequately protect Jewish students and faculty from antisemitic harassment and discrimination.

The college and the plaintiffs reached a settlement in August, and the case was subsequently dismissed.

The settlement includes the creation of a College Antisemitism Committee and mandatory antisemitism-awareness training for students, faculty and student-facing staff.

The Haverford case illustrates one aspect of a broader debate on US college campuses over the relationship between antisemitism, anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel.

Those terms are contested and are not interchangeable: antisemitism refers to hostility or discrimination against Jews, while Zionism encompasses a range of political and ideological traditions concerning Jewish national self-determination and the state of Israel.

Historically, Zionism has included different political, religious and cultural currents.

Scholars and political movements have disagreed over its meaning, goals and relationship to Jewish identity and Israeli statehood.

In the Haverford case, University of California, Los Angeles scholar Dov Waxman argued that defining Zionism solely as support for Jewish self-determination and statehood is an oversimplification because Zionist movements have historically encompassed differing views on politics, culture, religion and the relationship between Jews and Israel.