A Columbia University professor who described the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel as "awesome" is slated to teach a course on Zionism at the prestigious institution, sparking controversy and criticism. 

The course, taught by Professor Joseph Massad, will explore the history of the Jewish Enlightenment, the development of Zionism, and the ongoing peace process between Israel, Arab states, and the Palestinian national movement, according to the course description on Columbia's website.

Following the Hamas attacks, Massad published an article in which he praised Palestinian resistance fighters and celebrated the events, further fueling the existing tensions surrounding the conflict. He described scenes of Palestinian fighters breaching Israeli security as "astounding" and "no less awesome."

A Columbia University spokesperson acknowledged the pain caused by Professor Massad's statements and reiterated the university's commitment to free expression and open dialogue. The spokesperson emphasized that Massad's course is one of three available on the topic of Zionism and the history of Israel, with two others offered through the university's Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. The spokesperson also noted that Massad’s class is limited to 60 students and is not a required course.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) publicly questioned the appropriateness of the course, raising concerns about taxpayer funding for what he perceived as "ideological indoctrination." He drew a parallel between Massad teaching Zionism and a hypothetical scenario of former KKK leader David Duke teaching a course on anti-racism.

The controversy surrounding the course reportedly led to the resignation of Columbia adjunct professor Lawrence Rosenblatt. In his resignation letter, Rosenblatt argued that while Massad has the right to express his views, Columbia has a responsibility to ensure objective and fair teaching. He suggested that a course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should ideally be co-taught from diverse perspectives, and not by someone who advocates for the eradication of a group of people.