An adult education institute affiliated with George Mason University in Virginia is facing criticism over plans to offer a course on Palestinian Arab history taught by an activist who participated in an anti-Israel flotilla attempting to reach Gaza, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
The course, titled "The History of Palestine," is scheduled for next semester through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), a nationwide adult education program established by Jewish philanthropist Bernard Osher, a prominent supporter of Israel and Jewish causes.
According to course materials obtained by the Free Beacon, the program will examine allegations of Israeli "genocide" in Gaza and the history of what its description calls "Palestinians' resistance" to "new colonists."
The instructor, Palestinian-American activist Haitham Arafat, participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla, an anti-Israel initiative associated with activist Greta Thunberg that has faced allegations of links to Hamas.
The planned course has prompted complaints from OLLI members and Jewish organizations, leading the institute's leadership to schedule a special executive meeting on Friday to discuss the controversy.
In an email reviewed by the Free Beacon, OLLI executive director Lisa Mariam said the "instructor was recruited by one of our members" and indicated that the organization would likely attach "a special sensitive topic label on this class in the online catalog."
The course description presents the history of the region through the framework of Zionism, Jewish immigration and Palestinian Arab opposition.
"This course will survey modern Palestine from the late 1890s to the present. We will look at the beginnings of Zionism, what happened to those living in Palestine when new colonists arrived, what conditions led to the Palestinians' resistance, and what forms that resistance took," the description reads. "We will also examine what life is like for Palestinians today."
Arafat's biography, published in the course materials, describes his background and involvement in anti-Israel activism.
He is identified as an "American Palestinian born in Gaza. He closed his cybersecurity consulting business after the genocide began, dedicating his time to fighting starvation. He lost over 100 family members in northern Gaza. Recently, he sailed in the Global Sumud Flotilla."
The flotilla, organized by anti-Israel activists including Thunberg, attempted to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza using vessels that participants said were carrying humanitarian assistance.
Israeli authorities intercepted the boats and detained the activists. Following their detention, some participants alleged that Israeli forces had mistreated them.
Israel's Foreign Ministry disputed those allegations and released video footage that it said showed activists pretending to have suffered injuries.
The ministry also stated that the supplies carried aboard the vessel amounted to less than one truckload of humanitarian aid and would be delivered to Gaza through established aid channels.
Arafat's participation in the flotilla, combined with the language used to advertise the course, prompted several complaints addressed to OLLI officials, George Mason University and the university's board.
The Free Beacon obtained three of those complaints.
One letter questioned whether the course would provide balanced academic instruction or instead promote a predetermined political position.
"In addition to the inflammatory course description, the instructor's affiliation (and social media attributed to him) suggest this course will be a one-sided narrative failing to meet academic standards," the complaint states. "Rather than being an appropriate academic endeavor, this course seems to be an effort to 'weaponize' adult education and spread venal political propaganda. This course has the potential to create a toxic environment for adult learners, GMU's student community, and the broader community."
Another complaint came from Middle East expert and Virginia resident Eric Rozenman, who accused the institute of providing a platform for antisemitic narratives.
"'Israeli genocide' and 'Israeli starvation' claims amount to contemporary repackaging of ancient anti-Jewish blood libels. And they appear to be effective, helping fuel today's resurgence of antisemitism across Europe and North America. So, on what legitimate grounds does OLLI offer a course promoting them? There can be none. This is not a matter of presenting 'diverse viewpoints' or 'controversial positions.' It is lending a platform to incitement of Jew-hatred," Rozenman wrote.
The Zionist Organization of America also intervened, submitting a letter Wednesday that criticized both the course content and the choice of instructor.
The organization said the program contained "serious flaws" and that there was "an equally serious problem with the instructor who intends to teach it."
George Mason University sought to distance itself from responsibility for the course.
A university spokesperson told the Free Beacon that the program was being organized exclusively by OLLI, which "is a separate organization from George Mason University."
The spokesperson emphasized that OLLI participants "can pick and choose courses based on their interests," adding that "the opinions expressed by instructors and presenters are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute or host institution."
However, the Free Beacon noted that the institute's promotional materials describe it as "OLLI Mason" and state that "OLLI courses are presented by GMU faculty" at the "Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University."
Founded in 2001, OLLI operates adult education programs at approximately 120 colleges and universities across the United States.
Its founder, Bernard Osher, has supported numerous Jewish and pro-Israel initiatives through his philanthropic activities. His Jewish Philanthropies Foundation has contributed to Birthright Israel, Jewish community centers and Jewish federations.
The controversy surrounding the planned course follows an earlier dispute involving anti-Israel activism at George Mason University.
In 2025, the university's Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter published a recruitment video on Instagram shortly after the organization was reinstated following a suspension.
The video featured a masked speaker whose voice had been electronically altered, accusing Israel of "genocidal" actions in Gaza and describing the United States as the "belly of the beast."
The speaker also criticized George Mason and other academic institutions for their connections to American military interests.
The video called on students to participate in the struggle for “Palestinian liberation" and used the slogan "from the river to the sea", widely associated with calls for Israel's elimination.
It also featured a song praising Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, who was eliminated in an Israeli airstrike in July 2024, while making no mention of Hamas's October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel.
The SJP chapter had previously been suspended after police discovered weapons and terrorist flags connected to two members, sisters Jena and Noor Chanaa, during a November 2024 search of their home.
The sisters had earlier been accused of vandalizing the university's Wilkins Plaza in August 2024.
Despite that controversy, the university allowed the organization to return for the fall 2025 semester after completing its suspension.
George Mason spokesperson John Hollis confirmed at the time that SJP had fulfilled the conditions of its suspension and had been reinstated as a registered student organization.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)