JONATHAN Yudelman taught courses regarding politics and ethics at Arizona State University.
A viral social media video taken at a pro-Israel rally outside of ASU on Sunday, May 5, 2024, shows the faculty member involved in a confrontation with a woman in a hijab.
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Who is ASU faculty member Jonathan Yudelman?
Jonathan Yudelman is a postdoctoral research scholar at Arizona State University’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership.
According to his page on the ASU website, he taught the course titled Great Ideas of Politics & Ethics during the fall 2023 semester and the course Great Debates in American Politics during the spring of 2024.
Per his University of Austin biography, Yudelman is also an assistant professor of Political Theory in Intellectual Foundations at UATX.
In addition to ASU, he also held postdoctoral positions at Princeton University, Harvard University, and Baylor University from 2020-2024.
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“His current research focuses on early modern political theory, the idea of progress, sources of political authority, and the intersection of politics and religion,” his biography states.
“His non-academic writing covers topical political, cultural, and religious issues and has appeared in numerous publications,” it continues.
Yudelman is working on a book manuscript titled Hobbes and the Birth of Ideological Politics.
He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston College.
According to his page on The Tikvah Fund’s website, Yudelman received a master’s degree in philosophy and a bachelor’s in Jewish thought from the Hebrew University.
“Tikvah’s purpose is to educate the rising generation of Jewish, Zionist, and American leaders and to advance the most serious thinking about the great challenges facing the Jewish people in the modern age,” the nonprofit organization’s website also states.
Why is he on leave from the university?
Yudelman is on leave due to his behavior at a pro-Israel rally in which he got into a confrontation with a woman in a hijab on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
NBC News reported that the incident and rally occurred “just outside” the ASU campus in Tempe, Arizona.
A cell phone video of the confrontation went viral on social media.
In the clip, Yudelman says, “I’m literally in your face — that’s right,” as he closely approaches the woman.
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The woman backs away as Yudelman continues to walk toward her, sometimes with his hands raised.
“You’re disrespecting my religious boundaries,” the woman says.
“You disrespect my sense of humanity, b***h,” Yudelman responds.
It is unclear what happened before and after the video was recorded.
Prior to the confrontation, NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix conducted an interview with Yudelman in which he described pro-Palestinian protests at universities across the US as “campuses being taken over by supporters of terrorism.”
He also denounced what he described as “Jewish students’ being intimidated,” per NBC News.
“It was important to come out and make a statement for the community,” he said.
What has ASU said about the incident?
As NBC News reported, ASU released a statement regarding the incident on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.
“ASU is aware of the allegations against Jonathan Yudelman and is investigating them. Dr. Yudelman is on leave and will remain so pending the outcome of the investigation,” the university said.
Other organizations have spoken out following the incident.
Per NBC News, the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations “condemned the incident” in a statement, calling for “law enforcement to arrest Arizona State University (ASU) professor Jonathan Yudelman for allegedly harassing and assaulting a Muslim woman in a hijab during his participation in a pro-Israel protest near campus.”
“Such behavior is not only discriminatory but also violates the fundamental principles of academic integrity and respect for diversity that professors should uphold inside and outside of the classroom,” said Azza Abuseif, executive director of the chapter, who called for ASU to fire Yudelman from his position.
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