Tucson, AZ – Two University of Arizona professors, Assistant Professor Rebecca Lopez and Community Liaison Rebecca Zapien, have been temporarily replaced while the school conducts an investigation into claims the teachers conducted a lecture with antisemitic claims and the defense of Hamas.
The move was made after an audio file began circulating on social media of the professors.
KGUN 9 received the recording, but could not verify who created it. It also appeared to have a number of edits.
The original social media post said the audio was recorded during a “TLS 411 Cultural Pluralism” class, under the College of Education.
The University of Arizona said on Thursday it had temporarily replaced Assistant Professor Rebecca Lopez and Community Liaison Rebecca Zapien and were investigating them after a group called the Israel War Room posted on X what it said were audio recordings of classroom conversations involving the two.
"Hamas isn't a terrorist group, it's a resistance group, like the Black Panthers." Oh, and "they're not elected officials."
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 12, 2023
This is what @uarizona professors are teaching their students.
Truth: Hamas is a terrorist group that was elected to power in 2006.
(3/9) pic.twitter.com/mmyUHvRyDU
"The 2014 Gaza War: Palestinians peacefully marched by the Gaza border fence and were massacred."
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 12, 2023
This is what @uarizona professors are teaching their students.
Truth: the kidnap/murder of 3 Israeli teens & nonstop rocket fire led to Ops Brother's Keeper + Protective Edge.
(4/9) pic.twitter.com/s4Bx0wd7ES
"The IDF intentionally targets Palestinian civilians, and Israel and its supporters are lying about the October 7 massacre."
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 12, 2023
This is what @uarizona professors are teaching their students.
Truth: Hamas targets civilians. Israel targets terrorists.
(5/9) pic.twitter.com/JdWfUGL9ud
"Antisemitic attacks aren't actually skyrocketing; people are just conflating anti-Zionist attacks with antisemitism."
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 12, 2023
This is what @uarizona professors are teaching their students.
Truth: anti-Jewish attacks in the US are up ~400%. Jews around the world are being targeted.
(6/9) pic.twitter.com/ifwtBhCD8B
"There's been many Holocausts; we're only taught about (((WW2)))." Also, these profs don't disagree that "Zionists are almost as cruel as Nazis."
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 12, 2023
This is what @uarizona professors are teaching their students.
Truth: The Holocaust was the systemic massacre of 6 million Jews.
(7/9) pic.twitter.com/i6QnJEIlvp
