House Panel Accuses Activists of Influencing Psychology Group's Post-Oct. 7 Response

October 29, 2026 - 22:55

A House committee report alleges that anti-Israel activists have co-opted the American Psychological Association, pointing to internal communications that show the organization's leaders dropped terrorism language after the Oct. 7 attacks and resisted requests from Jewish psychologists seeking recognition.

The report, issued by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, draws on internal documents and communications to build its case. According to the findings, APA leadership moved away from characterizing the Hamas attacks as terrorism in the aftermath of Oct. 7, a shift the committee frames as evidence of external political pressure shaping the group's public stance.

The report also claims that Jewish psychologists who asked the association for acknowledgment of their concerns were rebuffed by leadership. The committee presents these exchanges as part of a broader pattern in which organized activists influenced how the APA responded to the attacks and their aftermath.

The allegations raise questions about governance and political neutrality within one of the country's largest professional associations for psychologists. The APA has not issued a detailed public response to the specific claims outlined in the report. The committee's findings add to a growing debate over how professional organizations handle politically charged issues and whether external advocacy groups exert undue influence over institutional positions.