Scholarship, not politics: Reply to Eidelson (2025)

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• History of Psychology

Background:

• Antisemitism within the psychology profession has a historical basis.
• Recent increases in antisemitism necessitate professional acknowledgment and action.
• Previous scholarship supports the examination of antisemitism in psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the history of antisemitism in the psychology profession.
• To call for the American Psychological Association's acknowledgment of past and present antisemitism.
• To address the recent rise in antisemitism and its impact.

Main Methods:

• Historical review of antisemitism in psychology.
• Analysis of statistical data on antisemitism.
• Examination of scholarly literature on the topic.

Main Results:

• The article refutes specific misinterpretations of cited statistics.
• Recent studies indicate a negative psychological impact of antisemitic campus activism on Jewish students.
• The commentary by Eidelson (2025) misinterprets the article's central goals.

Conclusions:

• The American Psychological Association should acknowledge its history concerning antisemitism.
• Proactive measures are needed to address the current rise in antisemitism.
• Focusing on the definition of antisemitism or political stances detracts from scholarly advancement.