Northwestern Professor Revealed as Advisor for School's Jewish Voice for Peace Chapter

Wendy Pearlman, a professor at Northwestern, also serves as a faculty advisor to the school's chapter of JVP, whose national organization is accused of promoting antisemitism and support for terror

Professor Wendy Pearlman, Crown Professor of Middle East Studies and Interim Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Northwestern University, also serves as an advisor for the campus’s Jewish Voice for Peace chapter (JVPNU), the Jewish Onliner can reveal. The group’s parent organization regularly promotes classic antisemitic rhetoric and expresses support for violence and U.S.-designated terror groups, according to critics.

At the same time, Northwestern professor Mkhaimar Abusada, accused of having ties to Hamas, is facing potential deportation by immigration authorities. This situation raises additional questions about the university's position on radical activism, ahead of an upcoming congressional hearing with Northwestern's president, Michael Schill.

Professor Wendy Pearlman is listed as an “officer” for the JVP chapter at Northwestern University. Credit: northwestern.campuslabs

JVPNU’s constitution excludes Zionist Jews from membership and mandates that faculty advisors must be “Jewish Anti-Zionists.” JVP chapters have hosted events featuring controversial slogans such as “From the River to the Sea” (a phrase widely interpreted as calling for the elimination of Israel) and attacked university antisemitism training as “Zionist propaganda.”

A social media post from Northwestern's SJP and JVP chapters calling the university's antisemitism training "Zionist propaganda." Credit: NU SJP

Credit: NU SJP

Alleged Ties to Terrorist Groups & Support for Radical Movements

Concerns about Pearlman’s affiliations escalated after she promoted a 2020 event by Masar Badil, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement. Masar Badil is linked to Samidoun, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Additionally, leaders of Masar Badil referred to October 7 as a “glorious, heroic” attack on Israel.

Wendy Pearlman promoted an event by Masar Badil, which is linked to U.S.-designated terror groups Samidoun and the PFLP. Credit: Wendy Pearlman on X

Pearlman’s also held an internship role at Al-Mezan, a Gaza-based NGO with alleged ties to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). For example, in 2017, Issam Younis, the director of Al Mezan, participated in a panel discussion on "The Requirement for Supporting and Ensuring the Success of Palestinian National Reconciliation." The panel included several representatives from Palestinian terrorist organizations, such as Kayed Al-Ghoul, a member of the PFLP Political Bureau, Khaled Al-Batsh from the PIJ Political Bureau, and Yahya Sinwar, the former head of Hamas. Younis shared the stage with Sinwar during this discussion.

Pearlman reposted a comment on X published by Al-Mezan, writing that she was “In awe of Gaza’s human rights defenders,” in reference to Al-Mezan.

A post by Wendy Pearlman on X referring to the terror-linked, Gaza-based NGO Al-Mezan as 'human rights defenders.’ Credit: Wendy Pearlman on X

Her academic career includes time spent at Birzeit University in the West Bank, which is closely tied to Hamas, according to multiple investigations. Pearlman co-authored an academic article with Ali Jarbawi, a professor from Birzeit University, who has also written about his opposition to the concept of a Jewish state.

Pearlman’s time in the West Bank coincided with the Second Intifada, according to her book, “Violence, Nonviolence, and the Palestinian National Movement.”

Pearlman describes her experience studying at Birzeit University in the West Bank, a university known for having terror-affiliated student groups: The Electronic Intifada

Pearlman has long supported campus divestment campaigns against Israel, dating back to 2002. She was previously the leader of the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at Harvard University and now holds a professorship funded by Lester Crown, a major donor to pro-Israel causes.

On October 9, 2023, Northwestern’s MENA department, under Pearlman’s leadership, released a statement on Instagram in apparent support of the Hamas-led attack, referring to it as the “Palestinian resistance,” without acknowledging Israeli civilian casualties. A week later, Pearlman co-authored an article contextualizing the Hamas attack, warning that condemning the attack would amount to “decontextualized declarations.”

In May 2002, Pearlman authored an article in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. The piece attempted to downplay Palestinian terrorists’ roles in the campaign of suicide bombings against Israelis during the Second Intifada, instead blaming Israel for the attacks. Titled "Suicide Bombers Not the Only Martyrs—Israel Creates Many More," the article refers to the bombers as "martyrs."

In another of her articles, titled “Israel’s Indifference to Civilian Lives,” Pearlman compares Israel’s counterterror operations to Palestinian suicide bombings.

An article by Pearlman attempting to frame suicide bombers during the intifada as "martyrs." Credit: Washington Report on Middle East Affairs

In a November 2023 lecture attended by Northwestern President Michael Schill, Pearlman described Israel as an “ethnonationalist state” engaged in “occupation, genocide, and apartheid,” arguing that accusations of antisemitism were often used to silence Palestinian rights advocacy. In January 2024, she helped found Northwestern’s chapter of Educators for Justice in Palestine and gave an interview to The Electronic Intifada, a publication that praised the October 7 Hamas attack.

Wendy Pearlman gave an interview to The Electronic Intifada, an outlet that praised Hamas’ Oct 7th attack as ‘innovative.’ Credit: The Electronic Intifada

Pearlman has publicly opposed Northwestern’s committee on antisemitism, and criticized groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Brandeis Center. She has signed letters praising antisemitic encampments and condemned the ADL and Brandeis Center as “draconian,” further adding to the controversy surrounding her position.

Impact on Northwestern University and Federal Scrutiny

Pearlman’s controversial advisory role with Jewish Voice for Peace raises significant questions about the university’s responsibility in addressing campus climate and potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which protects individuals from discrimination based on national origin at federally funded institutions.

Northwestern University President Michael Schill is scheduled to testify before Congress later this summer regarding the university’s handling of antisemitism on campus. Schill’s testimony will highlight the university’s alleged efforts in this context, including updates to the Code of Conduct, to address campus climate issues.

Additionally, Northwestern is facing increased scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Education, which flagged antisemitic incidents on campuses after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Trump administration also froze $790 million in federal funding to Northwestern, impacting various research and defense-related grants.