Local Groups Issue Statement Condemning OSU Hillel Panel on Gaza

Six local groups issued a joint statement on November 4, 2026, condemning a panel hosted by The Ohio State University Hillel. The event, titled “What Comes Next? Gaza, Israel, & the Future of the Middle East,” featured speakers Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib and Nadav Eyal. The signatories called the gathering “abhorrent” and argued that the organization’s programming contradicts findings from Amnesty International and the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry.

The coalition includes American Muslims for Palestine-Columbus, Faculty staff for Justice in Palestine-OSU, Students for Justice and Palestine-OSU, CAIR OH Central & Southern Ohio, Young United Souls for Revolutionary Action, and the Cincinnati Palestine solidarity coalition. The statement asserts that OSU Hillel continues to host events that deny genocide in Gaza while whitewashing Israel’s human rights record. The groups noted that the UN commission concluded Israel has committed genocide, a finding they said is sustained by the continued denial of survival conditions such as healthcare.

The criticism targeted Alkhatib specifically for his public stance on the conflict. The statement described him as a native of Gaza who “weaponizes his Palestinian identity” to deny the genocide while attempting to improve Israel’s image. It noted that his career has been supported by the Atlantic Council, which the groups described as a pro-Israel think tank. The statement cited a video shared on Alkhatib’s own account where he addressed the characterization of the events in Gaza. In that clip, he said, “My personal opinion is no, I don’t think so.”

The groups also objected to the inclusion of Nadav Eyal. They pointed to his public record, which includes dismissive remarks about the UN investigation and rejection of earlier warnings regarding starvation in Gaza. The statement cited his sweeping defenses of Israeli soldiers’ intentions and his praise for the deadly pager attack in Lebanon, despite the civilian toll. The signatories argued these positions undermine his credibility in a discussion that should center Palestinian rights and civilian protection.

The statement criticized the panel’s framing of the conflict as a closed chapter. It argued that the event sets the stage for proposed “normalization” by presenting the relationship between an occupying power and an occupied people as a manageable disagreement. The groups said this approach ignores the facts on the ground, including occupation, dispossession, and unequal power dynamics. They maintained that such programming offers the appearance of reconciliation while marginalizing Palestinian demands for justice.

The document concluded that Palestinians deserve a future shaped by freedom, dignity, and the ability to remain in and rebuild their homeland. The groups stated that this future requires ending the ongoing destruction and holding those responsible accountable. They argued there can be no discussion of what comes next without first acknowledging and ending what is happening now.