UPenn fires anti-Israel lecturer after Trump shuts down $175 million in funding

The University of Pennsylvania fired a controversial lecturer after President Donald Trump shut down $175 million of federal funding to the school.

Dwayne Booth was a communications lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication, but he was also known for producing grossly anti-Semitic cartoons criticizing Israel by comparing it to Nazi Germany.

'This is nothing more than a hollow pretext to target our community.'

On Friday, Booth said that he had been fired from the post and jokingly compared himself to Jesus Christ and Malcolm X over the decision.

"I was informed that the reason for the termination was budgetary, which I think is the same reason they gave to Jesus just before they crucified him, and Malcolm X just before they shot him, and what they told Eugene Debs, Susan B. Anthony, and Lenny Bruce just before jailing them. I jest, of course," he wrote.

Trump had shut down federal funding to the university over its refusal to follow his executive order restricting biological males from competing in women's sports.

Booth went on to accuse the university of capitulating to "MAGA bullies" in order to shut down dissenting speech.

"The reality — and something that, unfortunately, is not unique to Penn — is that colleges and universities nationwide have been way too complicit with the largely Republican-led efforts to target students and faculty members engaged in any and all speech rendered in support of trans/black/immigrant, and women’s rights, free speech, the independent press, academic freedom, and medical research," Booth added, "speech that also voices bold criticism of right-wing nationalism, genocide, apartheid, fascism, and specifically the Israeli assault on Palestine."

Booth had been secretly publishing the offensive cartoons under the name "Mr. Fish" before he was outed by the Washington Free Beacon. The university's interim president had initially refused to fire Booth despite describing the cartoons as "reprehensible."

The funding cuts were denounced by Philadelphia City Council Jamie Gauthier, whose district includes the university.

"These funds have nothing to do with transgender student athletes — this is nothing more than a hollow pretext to target our community," wrote Gauthier. "What Trump is really doing is threatening tens of thousands of jobs, our hospitals, lifesaving research projects, educational programs for underserved youth, and so much more."

The university did not respond to a request for comment from the Beacon.

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