Applying strategic leadership principles to diminish antisemitism and moderate activism on university campuses

University leaders must balance freedom of expression and activism with student safety and campus cohesion. This tension has intensified amid pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations. A significant gap in the literature lies in applying strategic leadership theory to mitigate antisemitism and polarised activism in higher education.This study used a critical literature review approach on the intersection of antisemitism in universities, campus activism, and strategic leadership. Approximately 50 relevant sources were selected, including peer-reviewed articles, books, journalistic pieces, opinion works, and seminal texts on antisemitism. Publicly documented case studies of leadership failures in education, journalism, and politics was used to illustrate broader patterns. The theoretical framework is strategic leadership theory, adopted within a pragmatic paradigm that prioritises practical solutions.Qualitative and quantitative data confirm rising antisemitism on university campuses, primarily driven by left-leaning theoretical frameworks. Strategic leadership failures contribute to institutional rigidity, ideological monocultures, and persistent antisemitism. Key competencies such as cognitive complexity, social intelligence, managerial wisdom, metacognition, transformational influence, and double-loop learning enable leaders to respond proactively, fostering pluralism, ethical resilience, and institutional legitimacy.Although the literature documents antisemitism on campuses extensively, it has largely neglected the preventive and remedial value of strategic leadership and its competencies. This article addresses that gap by showing how these frameworks equip leaders to halt organisational drift toward antisemitism, and deploy proactive strategies, preventing patterns seen in universities, media organisations (e.g., BBC), and political institutions. It offers guidance for shifting from compliance to capability-focused, foresight-driven leadership that protects inclusive environments.