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California State University-Los Angeles is reviewing a video of Professor Melina Abdullah urging students to oppose a state antisemitism bill and promoting conspiracy theories about Israel and American Jews.
Abdullah livestreamed the class on her personal YouTube page in September. The video gained attention after the AMCHA Initiative shared it with The Times of Israel.
Abdullah teaches in the Department of Pan-African Studies and formerly chaired it. She co-founded the Black Lives Matter movement, leads its Los Angeles chapter, and served as Cornel West’s running mate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The filmed lecture came from her course “Race, Activism and Emotions.”
Instructor Urged Students to Block Law Protecting Jewish Students
In the footage, Abdullah directs students to fight AB 715, a California state law that created an Office of Civil Rights, established an antisemitism prevention coordinator position, and implemented new requirements for handling discriminatory content in public schools. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the measure in October with strong support from Jewish groups. Some progressive organizations opposed the bill and argued that it threatened academic freedom.
Abdullah called the legislation “racist, anti-union,” and blamed “the Israeli lobby” for its passage. She also claimed the bill reflected a Trump administration crackdown on “student protesters,” even though AB 715 was a state initiative. Abdullah then read out a petition URL and instructed students to sign it. She later added that “every single labor union is against AB 715.”
A university spokesperson said Cal State-LA was “aware of the issue and … looking into the matter.” The university bars employees from using public resources to promote or oppose political measures.
Classroom Claims Echo Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories About AIPAC
Abdullah told students that Israeli interests had seized control of Congress. She misidentified the name of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and said the group had “bought and paid for almost every single member of Congress.” She added that U.S. elections were “not free and fair.”
These claims reflect long-standing antisemitic tropes about Jewish wealth, political power, and dual loyalty. Abdullah’s statements also included several documented errors. She inflated the Gaza death toll, misstated details of a New York congressional race, and repeated a false assertion that the Israeli flag was the “only flag in the country that it’s a felony to burn.”
Comments on Jews, Violence, and Revolutionary Literature
Abdullah told students that “all of my friends who are Jewish” opposed Israel, the war in Gaza, and AB 715.
Later, students discussed the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. One celebrated the murder; another expressed sympathy. Abdullah replied, “I could give a rat’s ass” about the Kirk assassination.
The class then examined “Blood in My Eye,” a manifesto that endorses political violence and urges readers to “bring the USA to its knees.” Abdullah says she was “not uncomfortable” with the book’s arguments. She also described the U.S. government as “fascist” and said it was at war with minorities and women.
AMCHA Initiative director Tammi Rossman-Benjamin called Abdullah a central figure in California’s ethnic studies movement and a powerful force on campus. Cal State-LA is already under federal investigation for failures in its handling of antisemitism on campus.
Abdullah did not respond to requests for comment.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
