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The Los Angeles Review of Books cancelled an interview with Shai Davidai, a pro-Israel professor known for addressing antisemitism on university campuses, after initially commissioning it. Senior editor Rob Latham cited concerns about Davidai's controversial views as "toxic" and declined to reconsider the piece despite efforts by freelancer Melissa Uchiyama to revise it. This decision follows criticism of anti-Israel sentiment in academic settings and highlights perceived double standards in media treatment of such topics, particularly given the publication’s recent positive coverage of an anti-Israel activist.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In late 2023, The Los Angeles Review of Books cancelled an interview it had commissioned with Shai Davidai, an Israeli-born professor known for critiquing antisemitism at universities. After initially hiring freelancer Melissa Uchiyama to conduct the piece ahead of Davidai's new book release, senior editor Rob Latham abruptly pulled the article when he read a draft. In emails obtained by The Post, Latham described Davidai as "a toxic figure who pretends to want respectful exchange," arguing that his views require more rigorous scrutiny than a standard interview format allows. Despite Uchiyama's offer to revise the piece, the publication declined to publish it, opting instead to offer her a $100 kill fee. This decision came after the LA Review had recently published a supportive article on controversial anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil, highlighting a potential double standard in handling contentious figures with opposing views.
Written for “Israel Palestine Relations” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
The Los Angeles Review of Books spiked an interview it commissioned with Shai Davidai — the Israel-born professor who called out antisemitism on Columbia University’s campus — with an editor calling the outspoken academic “a toxic figure,” The Post has learned.
asserted
Post → spike → academic
Senior editor Rob Latham pulled the rug out from under freelancer Melissa Uchiyama after hiring her to interview Davidai ahead of his new book, “American Intellectual Antisemitism: The Anti-Jewish Movement Tearing Through Our Universities,” emails showed.
asserted
emails → pull → Universities
He had a stunning change of heart after reading the 2,000-word piece, telling Uchiyama in an email that Davidai is “a toxic figure who pretends to want respectful exchange.”
The prof is a “controversial figure” whose views “need to be probed more rigorously” than a standard interview allows, Latham wrote Uchiyama in emails seen by The Post.
asserted
Latham → have → Post
Latham “should never have green lit the piece at all,” he added.
asserted
he → light → piece
When Uchiyama offered to rework the article to salvage publication, the LA Review — which recently ran a fawning piece on controversial anti-Israel agitator Mahmoud Khalil – told her, no dice.
asserted
which → offer → dice
Latham wrote the dismayed scribe that her “best bet is to try and find a sympathetic venue” and offered her a $100 kill fee, which she declined.
“There was simply no way to have a quiet chat with him, and if you had challenged him forcefully, I expect it would’ve gotten ugly very fast,” Latham wrote.
asserted
Latham → write → him
Davidai said the spiking of the article looked like bitter proof of the kind of censorship he’s been fighting.
asserted
he → say → censorship
“Ironically, part of the book concerns these exact distortions and erasures in the media,” he told The Post.
asserted
he → concern → Post
“What’s most shocking is that they’re saying the quiet parts out loud,” he added, blasting “the double standard” at work.
asserted
he → ’ → work
“It was clear to me it wasn’t about her not asking the right questions, but about her asking the wrong person.”
asserted
her → ask → person
Davidai’s new book, set for release Oct. 6, is a “blistering indictment of how radical politics, ideological indoctrination, and institutional indifference have transformed campuses into incubators of anti-Jewish, anti-Israeli, and anti-American hatred,” according to publisher Wicked Son, an imprint of Post Hill Press, which is in turn distributed by Simon & Schuster.
uncertain
which → set → Simon
Uchiyama told The Post she was “very proud” of her “balanced” interview with Davidai.
asserted
she → tell → Davidai
“I knew my audience and their skepticism — it was not written for a Jewish outlet,” she said.
asserted
she → know → outlet
The spiked interview is the latest in a series of travails for Davidai, who made international headlines for standing up to anti-Israel protests at Columbia in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
asserted
who → make → attacks
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
asserted
Report → start → news
The human behavior researcher went from celebrated staffer – who was regularly published in journals and mainstream outlets and collected awards like “best 40 under 40 MBA professors of 2023” – to being barred from the classroom and campus.
asserted
who → go → classroom
He finally left the poison Ivy last year after spurious charges against him were ultimately dropped.
asserted
charges → leave → him
The New York-based academic went on to join the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy as a research fellow.
asserted
academic → base → fellow
LARB and Latham did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
asserted
LARB → respond → comment
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