The campus of George Washington University. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

A pro-Israel group at George Washington University (GWU) is urging the institution to rethink its recent appointment of a BDS-supporting professor as the interim dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA).

Dr. Ilana Feldman, a Change.org petition initiated by GW for Israel said, was “a fervent supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has a record of minimizing terrorism, delegitimizing the State of Israel, and advocating to suspend academic ties with Israeli institutions.”

“We find it highly problematic that the university selected an individual who has worked to hinder international dialogue and exchange to head ESIA,” the petition continued.

The petition concluded with a call for GW’s leadership to “reconsider this decision and select a better-suited candidate for the permanent dean of ESIA.”

In 2014, Feldman signed a letter accusing Israel of engaging in “the wholesale slaughter of a civilian population” in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Two years later, she was part of a group of American Anthropological Association (AAA) members who unsuccessfully sought to get the AAA to boycott Israeli academic institutions.