Princeton students taught that 'IDF harvests Palestinian organs' in course - report

Its upcoming fall semester class, Decolonizing Trauma Studies from the Global South, will be including the book The Healing Humanities: The Right to Maim by Jsbir Puar.

People walk around the Princeton University campus in New Jersey, November 16, 2013. (photo credit: REUTERS/EDUARDO MUNOZ)
People walk around the Princeton University campus in New Jersey, November 16, 2013.
(photo credit: REUTERS/EDUARDO MUNOZ)

A course at Princeton University will include a book in its syllabus that claims that IDF had been harvesting Palestinian organs, Ynet initially reported on Sunday.

Its upcoming fall semester class, Decolonizing Trauma Studies from the Global South, will be including the book The Healing Humanities: The Right to Maim by Jsbir Puar. Its summary states that Israel is allegedly “supplementing its right to kill with the right to maim,” the report quoted the book as saying.

Puar is a professor and Graduate Director of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, according to her website, and she has consistently accused Israel of ethnic cleansing Palestinians and that her book caused controversy when it was released six years ago, Ynet reported.

Puar also claimed that the supposed organ mining mentioned was used by the IDF for "scientific research," the report quotes her as saying.

StopAntisemitism's evaluation of Princeton

Non-partisan organization StopAntisemitism had given Princeton a "B-" score in its grading of American universities last year based on antisemitic climate, and stated that at the institution, "students do not always trust the administration to prioritize their safety and that though the majority of respondents feel they can be open about their Jewish identity, they do not feel comfortable expressing their support for Israel."

Students on the Princeton University campus (credit: DOMINICK REUTER/ REUTERS)
Students on the Princeton University campus (credit: DOMINICK REUTER/ REUTERS)

As for the new course, Puar's book was approved by the university's Near Eastern Studies Department faculty. However, the report stated that other academics were displeased with the course content and that it provided "zero educational value."