Emeritus Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi gave a virtual talk on Oct. 16 organized by the history department. Khalidi, who is well-known for writing “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine,” argued to community members that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “driven by outside powers” and that Zionism is “a settler colonial project.”
Approximately 100 community members attended the event in Kemeny Hall with the professor, who joined via Zoom. Khalidi stepped down from Columbia in 2021 due to concerns that the university was “prioritizing its financial interests over its academic ones,” according to The Columbia Daily Spectator.
Hillel Rabbi Seth Linfield criticized the event in an email to the Jewish student community.
“The decision by the history department and four humanities programs to invite Rashid Khalidi of Columbia to our campus this very week — without consulting with Hillel, the Jewish Studies Program, the Middle Eastern Studies Program, or the Dickey Center — underscores the work still before us,” Linfield wrote.
In an email statement to The Dartmouth, anthropology professor Sergei Kan wrote that he “fully supports Hillel’s critical response.”
“I find Khalidi’s interpretation of Zionism as a settler colonial phenomenon as extremely one-sided and biased,” Kan wrote.
In the Q&A, which was moderated by history professors Golnar Nikpour and Aseel Najib, Khalidi discussed the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his hiatus from Columbia, and the “moral responsibility" of Americans to express their opinions.
Khalidi’s Q&A comes after President Trump announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 8. Under the agreement, Hamas will release all surviving hostages in its custody, while the Israeli military will withdraw from the majority of Gaza, according to the Associated Press.
In an interview with The Dartmouth before the event, John Rieling ’26 said he hoped to hear about the recent ceasefire negotiated by the Trump administration between Israel and Hamas.
“I always try to take the opportunity to learn more about everything that I can,” Riesling said. “I’ve studied a lot of the history in Palestine.”
During the talk, Khalidi said the ceasefire was “very sketchy” and “extremely flimsy.”
“A ceasefire or truce does not signify the end of the war,” Khalidi said. “It is merely a pause in military action. The war is not over until [there are] peace agreements.”
Khalidi noted that historically, truces in the Middle East have failed to solve underlying tensions between Israel and its neighbors.
“I mean [in] 1949 there were truces between all the Arab countries and Israel,” Khalidi said. And then after, after the ’73 wars, or the ’67 war … there were truces for very long periods of time.”
In response to a question from Nikpour about “settler colonialism” in Palestinian history, Khalidi said that early Zionists in Palestine viewed themselves “as part of a European settler colonial project.” He noted that many Zionists were protected by the British Empire, which he called “the greatest imperial power of the day.”
“I went through what Zionists said in the 1890s, in the 1900s, the 1910s, the 1920s [and] the 1930s,” Khalidi said. “It was just perfectly clear that as far as they were concerned, this was a colonial endeavor.”
After a question from an audience member about the historical context behind the current Israel-Hamas War, Khalidi said the conflict has been “engendered by, framed by [and] driven by outside powers” since World War I.
“The British played a predominant role from 1917 right through World War II,” Khalidi said. “They are a major actor.”
Khalidi added that since World War II, American involvement in Palestine has been “indispensable to the oppression of the Palestinian people.” He said the conflict in the Middle East “will continue” as long as the United States sends aid to Israel.
“The United States is delivering weapons to bomb Palestinians,” Khalidi said. “As long as the United States is making war on the Palestinians … there will be no change there.”
Khalidi answered a final question from an audience member about “where we are” and “where we can go” by arguing that “Americans are responsible for what is done in our name.”
“We’ve just spent $22 billion in two years to fund this war on Gaza,” Khalidi said. “It’s not just a matter of taxes — it’s a matter of moral responsibility.”
In an email statement to The Dartmouth, history professor Nikpour said “it was a pleasure” to bring Khalidi to campus.
“I’m gratified that an auditorium filled with students came to listen to him speak and ask him their questions,” Nikpour wrote.
Update Appended (Oct. 23, 5:58 p.m.): This article previously listed Khalidi as a former Columbia professor. It has been updated to reflect the fact that Khalidi is an emeritus professor.
