ABOUT ICSA

The Institute for the Critical Study of Antizionism (ICSA) is dedicated to the rigorous, fair-minded study of antizionism as a set of ideas, a worldview, a contemporary social movement, and a significant force in modern intellectual and political life.

Our goal is to bring clarity, structure, and scholarly depth to a subject that profoundly shapes campus culture, public discourse, and the experience of Jewish communities. Academic integrity and scholarly norms remain our guiding values, and we firmly reject the activist politicization of the academy.

Professor Andrew Pessin

Founder & Director, Institute for the Critical Study of Antizionism

Professor Andrew Pessin is a philosopher, author, and educator whose work explores the intersections of Jewish thought, contemporary antisemitism, and the ideological currents shaping modern discourse about Zionism and Israel.

A long-time faculty member at Connecticut College, he has written and lectured extensively on the intellectual roots of antizionism and the

ways in which political, academic, and cultural frameworks shape perceptions of Jewish identity and sovereignty. His work includes both scholarly research and public-facing writing, ranging from academic articles and books to those intended for wider audiences, and he has been a frequent contributor to community and campus initiatives that address the rising challenges facing Jewish students in academic settings.

He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University.

More information about him and his work may be found at andrewpessin.com.

Our People

OUR MISSION

Antizionism—as a set of ideologies, as a worldview, and as a movement—dominates the academy and the infosphere, exerting outsized social and moral influence and corrupting many academic norms. Yet it has not been adequately studied in a rigorous, integrated way, one firmly guided by appropriate scholarly values. Important work has been done on individual components of the antizionist complex, but these efforts remain fragmented. No institution has attempted holistic, critical study, nor examined precisely how antizionism has politicized and corrupted the academy. ICSA aims to bring together scholars and researchers “under one roof,” creating intellectual coherence, visibility, and impact.

WHAT WE AIM TO PRODUCE

ICSA’s scholarly endeavors include the production of:

Books and academic articles
Conferences, webinars, and podcasts
Curricula for universities, high schools, and professional training
Workshops for administrators, educators, and staff
Support for scholars and students working in this area

ICSA actively seeks collaborators and sponsors.

For more information, contact info@icsaz.org.

AREAS OF INQUIRY

One component of the Institute’s work examines the precise relationships among antizionism, antisemitism, and anti-Judaism (Christian, Islamic, and secular). But we are equally committed to studying antizionism on its own terms, as a distinct ideological system and movement with its own internal logic.

A non-exhaustive list of potential areas of study appears under Projects & Topics of Study.

OUR SCHOLARLY COMMITMENTS

Scholarship reflects perspectives, but scholars remain obligated to fairness, rigor, and the pursuit of truth. ICSA is committed to:

Examining Zionism and antizionism from multiple angles
Avoiding predetermined conclusions
Engaging with alternative viewpoints
Upholding academic and intellectual integrity
Distinguishing activism from scholarship

Max Weinreich’s Hitler’s Professors documented how Nazi scholars produced politicized “research” designed to justify the elimination of Jews, reinforcing each other’s conclusions through circular citation. Soviet “Zionologists” (call them "Brezhnev’s professors”) did the same. Contemporary antizionist scholars—Hamas’s professors, as it were—must avoid such corruption.

ICSA aspires to maintain the highest academic values: fairness, rigor, open inquiry, multiple perspectives, no predetermined conclusions, the distinction between activism and scholarship, and truth.

SUBSTACK

ICSA publishes essays, reflections, and scholarly commentary on Substack.
Visit us at: icsa.substack.com