Harvard axes Middle East Studies Center Leaders

Interim Harvard Dean of Social Science David M. Cutler ’87 removed the faculty leaders of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies last week Wednesday, according to a faculty member familiar with the situation. This significant change comes as the center has faced ongoing criticism for its programming related to Israel and Palestine.

The dismissed leaders are Cemal Kafadar, the director and a professor of Turkish Studies, and Rosie Bsheer, the associate director and a History professor. Salmaan A. Keshavjee, a Global Health professor serving as interim director during Kafadar’s leave, will remain in his role.

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies has been under scrutiny from Harvard affiliates who claim that some of its events have been antisemitic and have not adequately represented Israeli perspectives. This criticism has intensified amid pressure from the Trump administration, which has pushed universities to modify or close programs it believes need oversight. For example, Columbia University recently agreed to place its Middle Eastern studies programs under stricter administrative control after the administration announced $400 million in federal funding cuts.

In an email to some center affiliates, obtained by The Crimson, Cutler announced that Kafadar would step down from his role as director at the end of the year. Cutler expressed gratitude for Kafadar’s contributions and asked colleagues to nominate potential candidates for future leadership by April 16. "I would value your thoughts on who, in addition to intellectual leadership and a compelling vision for the Center, would also bring the necessary administrative skills to be successful in this crucial role," he wrote. The email did not specify a reason for Kafadar’s exit and made no mention of Bsheer.

A Faculty of Arts and Sciences spokesperson declined to comment. Bsheer, Keshavjee, and Kafadar did not respond to requests for comment on Friday afternoon.

This move stands out as Cutler, an economist, is only serving as the Social Science divisional dean for one semester while Dean Lawrence D. Bobo is on leave. Kafadar has been on leave for the 2024-2025 academic year, with Keshavjee, who is also affiliated with the Anthropology department and serves as Adams House faculty dean, stepping in as interim director.

Recently, Harvard has taken steps to distance itself from programs criticized for alleged antisemitism or for affiliates’ views on Israel. The Harvard School of Public Health, for instance, suspended its research partnership with Birzeit University in the West Bank after repeated calls to end the collaboration.

Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers wrote in a March post on X that a February panel at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies about “Israel’s war in Lebanon” was “very likely” antisemitic under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition, which Harvard adopted in January as part of a settlement agreement.

A May report from the Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance accused the center of portraying Israel as “the last remaining colonial settler power embodying the world’s worst evils: racism, apartheid, and genocide.” The report criticized the center for focusing heavily on the Israel-Palestine conflict compared to other regions or issues. It listed numerous events deemed questionable or biased by the authors. One student, quoted anonymously, pointed to Kafadar for sharing pro-Palestine views with students.

Kafadar and Bsheer will continue in their faculty roles despite their removal from the center’s leadership.

The Harvard Crimson contributed to this article.