Brandeis President resigns after banning Palestinian group: Faculty votes no confidence  

Brandeis University President Ronald Liebowitz resigned on Wednesday following a narrow vote of no confidence from the university's faculty.

In a letter to the Brandeis community, Liebowitz confirmed that his resignation would take effect on November 1. The vote passed by a slim margin, with 159 faculty members in favor, 149 against, and 26 abstentions. The resolution criticized Liebowitz for "a consistent pattern of damaging errors of judgment and poor leadership."

Liebowitz, who gained significant attention for his strong stance against antisemitism following the October 7 Hamas attacks, became a polarizing figure on campus after he banned the group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). While some lauded his actions as a firm response to the situation, others accused him of overreach, contributing to mounting tensions within the university.

In addition to the SJP controversy, faculty members expressed dissatisfaction over Liebowitz’s handling of ongoing financial challenges, including budget shortfalls, layoffs, and struggles with fundraising.

The no-confidence resolution cited several grievances, including what it described as excessive responses to student protests, mismanagement of finances, and neglect of faculty concerns.

Earlier this month, the Brandeis student newspaper published a draft of the resolution, outlining these issues and highlighting the financial instability and staff layoffs that had unsettled the university community.

* Ynet contributed to this article.