The University of Maryland School of Medicine suspended a talk by the chief medical officer of the Israel Defense Forces, citing security concerns.
Brig. Gen. Elon Glassberg, a physician, was slated to speak to faculty, fellows, residents and students at the school on Jan. 16 as part of the “surgery grand rounds academic sessions,” the school told JNS.
The lecture by Glassberg, whom the school called a “distinguished scholar,” was “intended to focus exclusively on medical advances in trauma care,” the school stated. “Two days before the planned event, we became aware of potential safety concerns, and it became clear that they could not be sufficiently addressed in such a short time frame to allow us to proceed.”
“Given the primary concern of the safety and security of faculty and students and the protection of the educational environment, the surgical leadership decided to postpone this grand rounds session,” the school told JNS.
It intends to invite the Israeli physician in the future, “while working to ensure a safe learning atmosphere for our surgical teams,” the school stated, adding that it is “committed to hearing all voices when it comes to saving lives.”
Caren Leven, executive director of the Baltimore Zionist District, told JNS that she is “deeply disappointed” by the university’s decision.
“This move feels like a surrender to political pressure rather than a commitment to academic freedom and open dialogue,” she said. “The IDF Medical Corps is world-renowned for its innovations in emergency medicine and humanitarian aid, saving lives across borders. Excluding their voice deprives students and faculty of invaluable insights and expertise.”
The public school’s decision “doesn’t just undermine academic integrity, it alienates those of us who believe in fostering understanding and learning from diverse perspectives,” Leven said. “I urge the university to reflect on the values it wants to uphold and consider how this choice aligns with them.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an anti-Israel group whose Maryland chapter had pushed to have the event canceled, applauded the school’s decision. The school didn’t respond to a JNS query about whether pressure from CAIR led it to scrap the event.
