Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, has launched an investigation into a lecturer who presented students with a calculus problem stating that Palestinian land decreases each year “due to the occupation by Israel.”
According to NewsChannel5 Nashville, the slide was shown during a mathematics course and later circulated online, where it drew criticism after being shared by the advocacy group StopAntisemitism.
In a statement, Vanderbilt said the “content has been removed” and that the matter is being reviewed in accordance with university policy. The university did not provide additional details about the investigation.
StopAntisemitism identified the lecturer as Tekin Karadağ.
The slide, titled “Examples related to the popular issues!” presented the following problem:
“Assume Palestine (flag shown) as a state with a rectangular land shape. There is Mediterranean Sea on the west and Jordan River on the east. The height (from south to north) is 2.6 times width (from east to west). From river to the sea, Palestine (…) was approximately 100 km in 1946. The land decreases by 250 km²/year due to the occupation by Israel. How fast is the width of the land decreasing now? (Assume that the height is always 2.6 times width over years).”
Video of the slide being displayed to students sparked debate on social media, with critics arguing that the framing introduced a political claim into a mathematics lesson.
The university has not indicated whether disciplinary action will be taken as the review continues.
First published: 12:50, 02.24.26