Who Owns the American Historical Association? Israel, the war lobby, and the fight for Palestine

In this episode, host Barry Trachtenberg speaks with Adam Rzepka, professor of literature at Montclair State University, about his Chronicle of Higher Education report on the American Historical Association's decision to veto member-passed resolutions condemning scholasticide in Palestine and academic repression. Rzepka's reporting reveals that AHA leadership spent at least $170,000 on Thorn Run Partners, a Washington lobbying firm whose clients have included suppliers to the Israeli military and a West Bank settlement builder, and that a lobbyist from the firm attended the January 2026 Council meeting, warned of advocacy-related risks, and departed shortly before the Council vetoed the resolutions. The ep. covers what  ...