Senior officials at the American Psychological Association repeatedly dismissed concerns from Jewish psychologists about how the group handled antisemitism complaints after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, a new House report found. Jewish Insider reports that the probe was launched last December by Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI).
The report found that "over several years, radical activist-academics have successfully co-opted the APA to politicize the association and promote ideology that demonizes Israel, minimizes Hamas terrorism, and portrays Jews as white oppressors." It adds that "APA leaders have repeatedly failed to confront antisemitism within their own organization, alienating Jewish members and undermining confidence in an institution entrusted with setting professional standards."
The report includes 20 previously undisclosed internal communications from APA leaders, Jewish Insider reports. They show top officials responding to Jewish members and American lawmakers with sarcasm and disdain, and that leaders "internally expressed frustration toward, avoided, or dismissed antisemitism-related inquiries or complaints." In one June 2025 case, a Jewish psychologist wrote to APA leaders with grave concern about antisemitism. According to the report, Maysa Akbar, then the APA's chief diversity officer, replied internally with one word: "Sigh!"
The report also covers messages sent in early 2025 about a letter from Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on claims of antisemitism at the APA. The group's 2021 president wrote to Akbar: "sigh………" The APA's chief advocacy officer called the Torres letter "very thin factually," Jewish Insider reports.
Shortly after October 7, the APA chose not to sign the Anti-Defamation League's Workplace Pledge to Fight Antisemitism after an employee asked it to, the report says. It later declined to answer an ADL survey on antisemitism. Kim Mills, then a senior communications official, wrote in an internal message about criticism from the group Do No Harm: "I wonder if the Jews who are so angry at us know they are now feeding hatred from this horrible group."
The committee alleges that "APA leaders have repeatedly avoided unequivocally condemning the horrors of October 7th and antisemitism." It says the APA let the American Arab, Middle Eastern and North African Psychological Association, which does not represent Jewish psychologists, consult as an "antisemitism stakeholder" on its October 7 statement. In 2024, the report says, the APA avoided a request to recommend trauma psychologists for a White House screening of Screams Before Silence, a documentary about the sexual violence committed by Hamas.
