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A U.S. university with a campus in Qatar opted against releasing a statement that labeled Hamas’s October 7 attack as “abhorrent and horrific.” This decision came after officials connected to the Qatari government advised American educational institutions in Doha to present a unified front and avoid unexpected statements.
This approach significantly limits the scope for independent responses. Universities are not just issuing statements; they are meticulously planning the timing, content, and presentation of these responses. In critical situations, even a brief message can reveal an institution’s stance on the matter.
The report titled “How Campuses Became Hotbeds: The Rise of Radical Antisemitism on College Campuses” highlights Qatar’s financial relationships with U.S. universities that have campuses in Doha. It includes internal communications that shed light on discussions among university officials.
The language in question arose from an October 17 call that included the Qatar Foundation and university leaders, outlining expectations for the universities’ responses.
Internal emails provide insight into the events at Northwestern’s Qatar campus. As the U.S. campus prepared to address comments made by Northwestern Qatar’s professor Khaled Al-Hroub, who questioned reports of Hamas atrocities, the Doha branch resisted. Subsequently, Northwestern modified its statement from directly condemning the professor’s remarks to broadly denouncing “any attempt” to downplay the attack.
That language emerged from an October 17 call involving the Qatar Foundation and university leaders. It read like something the universities were expected to follow.
The emails also show what happened at Northwestern’s campus in Qatar. As Northwestern’s U.S. campus moved to respond to comments from professor Khaled Al-Hroub, a Northwestern Qatar faculty member who had cast doubt on reports of Hamas atrocities, the Doha campus pushed back. Northwestern later softened its statement, changing it from a direct condemnation of those comments to a broader condemnation of “any attempt” to minimize the attack.
The emails show something more direct.
“The campus also ‘intentionally chose not to circulate’ a university-wide statement calling the attack ‘abhorrent and horrific.’”
The draft itself was not vague. It directly addressed the attack and would have put the campus on record. For faculty who saw it, the expectation was simple. A statement like that would normally go out without much debate, especially given the scale of what had just happened.
A statement condemning the attack existed. It was ready. Leadership chose not to circulate it.
Qatar was not just offering prestige.
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Those partnerships are not small. Qatar has spent years investing in American campuses overseas, helping build programs, facilities, and entire academic hubs. That kind of relationship does not disappear when a crisis hits. It sits in the background when decisions get made..
It was writing very large checks. Qatar has become the largest foreign donor to U.S. higher education, with funding to American universities reaching $396 million in 2024 and $1.2 billion in 2025. Universities operating in Doha do so under contracts that require them to follow Qatari law and respect the country’s customs.
These campuses are supposed to stand for open debate and academic freedom. The structure they operate under makes clear there are limits to both.
This does not stop with a single statement. The report points to broader patterns across campus life, including hiring, programming, and how antisemitism complaints were handled after October 7. One finding stands out.
“Campuses with Faculty & Staff for Justice in Palestine chapters were seven times more likely to experience violence against Jewish students.”
Leadership was told to stay aligned. A statement condemning the attack was written. It was never shared.
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