George Smith

George Smith is a self-proclaimed anti-Zionist who has accused Israel of apartheid, creating an open air prison in Gaza and has described Israel’s establishment as a “Palestinian Holocaust.” 

Smith has reportedly disrupted pro-Israel events and distributed literature minimizing terrorism. In his writing, Smith has justified Palestinian terrorism and blamed Israel for acts of violence perpetrated against its citizens. 

Despite his apparent biases and lack of expertise in the field, Smith sought to teach an honors course on Zionism. 

The course’s approval by the university sparked widespread controversy amongst students, alumni and various organizations. 

Smith is a professor of biology at the University of Missouri (UM).

In 2015, Smith sought to teach an honors course at MU called “Perspectives on Zionism.” 

Despite the subject being far outside of Smith’s academic field, and his complete lack of expertise on issues of Zionism, Jewish history, or international law, he submitted a proposed syllabus and was approved by the university to teach the course.  

In response to the proposed course, major controversy arose within the campus community. 

Major concerns about Smith’s apparent anti-Zionist biases were raised, citing his activism and writings which clearly expressed strong anti-Israel sentiments. 

These concerns were reaffirmed when it was discovered that his syllabus was to include Ilan Pappe’s “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.” 

The controversy culminated in an alumnus’s letter-writing campaign, supported by numerous organizations, aimed at canceling the class.  

Ultimately, the course was cancelled due to lack of enrollment.  

Smith reportedly described the establishment of Israel as both “a shameful chapter in Jewish history” and a “Palestinian Holocaust.” 

Smith has also been charged with using terms such as “Zionist mythology” and accusing Israel of “colonization of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” 

On December 23, 2012, Smith published an article in which he stated: “Democracy’s enemy is apartheid, the present form of government in Palestine. Another term for apartheid in Palestine is Zionism.” 

In the same article, Smith held up “Jewish citizens whose roots in the land go back 30 or 60 years” up against “Arab citizens whose roots go back five or ten centuries.” 

In an article published by Mondoweiss on November 28, 2012, Smith charged Israel with creating an “öpen air prison” in Gaza.  

On December 6, 2015, Smith published an article discussing the wave of stabbings perpetrated by Palestinian terrorists against Israelis.  

Late 2015 saw an upsurge in violence across Israel incited by Palestinian political and religious leaders. 

The wave of stabbings, known as the “Knife Intifada,” saw young Palestinians throughout the country stabbing and attempting to stab scores of Israeli civilians. 

In his analysis, Smith dismissed Palestinians from accountability for these acts, focusing his accusations, instead, on the “context that overwhelms all other considerations in understanding Palestinian Arab terrorism: Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian West Bank.” 

In a November 28, 2012 article, Smith minimized acts of Palestinian terror from Gaza, describing them as “a feeble armed resistance, mostly primitive rockets.” 

According to Smith, it is Israel who is to blame for these attacks and the various military operations that have taken place in Gaza.  

It was reported in an article, published on June 11, 2015, that Smith attended pro-Israel events on campus in order to harass guest speakers.  

In 2013, Smith attended an event hosted by a pro-Israel group, featuring a speaker from Sderot. 

In response to the subject, of Hamas’ firing of rockets at Israel, Smith reportedly distributed fliers, saying that such tactics were justified because the average Palestinian must “go through a checkpoint every time he has to take a s**t.”