Palestinian Americans MUST Be Allowed to Protest
In a decision that has ignited intense debate about free speech on college campuses, Brandeis University has taken the unprecedented step of derecognizing a Pro-Palestinian student organization, sparking widespread concern among free speech advocates. This action by the university’s president, Ronald Liebowitz, comes a month after a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel, marking a first in the history of American private universities.
In a forceful editorial published in the Boston Globe, President Liebowitz clarified the university’s stance. “In this critical moment, as some members of our community use their freedom to express repugnant views about Jews, Jewish life, and the Jewish state, we at Brandeis must champion free speech as it’s rightly understood. While universities are not able to eliminate hate speech, they certainly shouldn’t fund it,” Liebowitz wrote. He emphasized that any group affiliated with Brandeis that propagates hate would lose its recognition and privileges. This strong position followed the announcement of a vigil by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) to mourn “martyrs in Gaza,” which had sparked controversy on campus.
The revocation of SJP’s university recognition has elicited a spectrum of reactions. Some Jewish students at Brandeis, like sophomore Noah Levy, lauded the decision. “I have never felt prouder to be part of Brandeis. President Liebowitz’s bold steps are unparalleled in the realm of university leadership,” Levy said.
Conversely, renowned free speech expert Harvey Silverglate criticized the university’s decision as a misstep. Silverglate, an attorney and co-founder of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, argued for the apolitical nature of universities. “Universities should be bastions of diverse political discourse and peaceful exchange of ideas,” Silverglate told WBZ. He added, referencing the school’s namesake, “Justice Brandeis, a seminal advocate of free speech and thought in the U.S. Supreme Court, would be disheartened by this decision.”
Silverglate also raised legal concerns, noting that Brandeis’s acceptance of substantial federal funds could potentially bring the issue into the realm of First Amendment violations. “The university’s role isn’t to silence one side to maintain peace, but to ensure a platform for free expression,” he said.
This controversy at Brandeis mirrors a similar situation at Columbia University, where two campus Palestine groups, SJP and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), were suspended. These actions have been condemned by civil rights advocates as suppressive measures that undermine students’ efforts to engage in peaceful protest and dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“These universities’ decisions represent a troubling trend in stifling student activism and free speech,” said a civil rights attorney in response to Columbia’s suspensions. “Censoring students for their peaceful expression of political views is not only unconstitutional but also antithetical to the very mission of higher education.”
The actions of Brandeis and Columbia Universities have intensified this debate, highlighting the delicate balance that educational institutions must strike between upholding free expression and navigating the complexities of politically charged issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Constitution of the United States does not talk about “hate speech.” And while we believe that much of what is being said is reprehensible, our opinions are not important and hold no weight in the light of the vastly greater realm of Constitutional rights.
To have people in authority, such as the president of Brandeis University attack a group for its speech is the real crime. Because if he can do it, others can to. And perhaps next time, it will be someone who finds your own words to be “hate speech.”
Either you are Palestinians or Americans … Do not call yourselves Americans … and GO Firetruck yourselves !
F&$K SILVERGATE! Palestinians (Virtually ALL HAMAS SUPPORTERS) have NO RIGHT TO ACTIVELY PROMOTE INSURRECTION and KILLING JEWS. That is NOT FREE SPEECH! Attempting to INCITE the TRULY EVIL TERRORIST acts of HAMAS and the annihilation of the State of Israel is NOT PROTECTED FREE SPEECH! They do NOT DESERVE to be “guests” in America!
Right ON!
Hate speech is tribalism at its worst. It’s designed to build an army of like thinking against those who have a different opinion . We need to support free speech, but those who use it to infuriate and cause decent must realize that there will be a price to pay if it results in harming others. Once it does, then using “free speech “ as an excuse to cause hate, separation and both physical and property harm, is no longer free speech. It’s a weapon. It is no different then if people get hurt as a result and that is wrong. That is when free speech is hate speech and there is a difference.
“Hate speech” has become a liberal construct designed to inhibit free speech. It is not recognized by the Constitution. When I say that the 2020 elections were stolen, I’m accused of hate speech and Google turns off my ads. And Facebook puts me in facebook jail. I could say that your posting is “hate speech” if I wanted. But that would be my opinion, disagreeing with your opinion. If PBP wants to be a free speech platform then it must allow free discourse.
Encouraging a group of people to fire thousands of rockets, behead children, rape and burn women is not free speech.
This isn’t Free Speech!!! This promotion of Hate, Bigotry, and Terrorism!!! These ProPalestinians should be sent over to GAZA for 1 year to see the brainwashing of the Islamic Cult of Murder Jews being taught!!!
Has anyone heard of Jewish terrorists?!?! I haven’t!! 98% of the terrorists around the world are Muslim Islamic cultists!!!
Islam promotes hate. Hatred of anyone who is not muslim and of all Western Civilizations. They are backward, low IQ vermin who kill with no reason. They have nothing to offer our planet. They are useless humanoids who have never accomplished anything except the death of innocent people. A horde of jabbering imbeciles that look like Apes and smell worse.
You are free to express that opinion.
The Constitution does not distinguish based on the message. But I appreciate you expressing your own opinion.
Gotta love a guy who appreciates a lie.
What a pussy.
How about, hey, you stupid bitch, take your head out of your ass and smell the coffee. There are more non-muslim terrorists than muslim terrorists.
Here, try some facts instead of Gilbertson-approved lies: *https://www.start.umd.edu/pubs/START_IdeologicalMotivationsOfTerrorismInUS_Nov2017.pdf*
Jiahadists: 21 attacks/68 dead (9/11 removed)
Non Jiahadists: ~100/56
SJP is part of the moslem brotherhood. They are dangerous jihadists and they have attacked jews on campus. Of course they support HAMAS. They are Hamas. This is not a free speech issue.
Yes, they have a right to protest, no matter how repugnant their attitudes. They absolutely do NOT have the right to interfere with the free speech of others, including pro-Israel groups. That would include attacking them, tearing down photos of hostages and other victims, or destroying any other legal displays they disagree with.
Threatening people or groups they disagree with should get them arrested. Attacking other groups should get them arrested. Attacking individuals by groups should justify them being shot.
Protest without attempt to suppress others in the process or to engage in any illegal acts is one thing. But any hint of violence or intimidation (or other crimes, “even” property crimes which are never truly victimless) is unacceptable; and if stopping it impedes associated relatively legitimate speech, that’s on the ones whose take on speech is so abusive.
Unfortunately we do a very lousy job of preventing those criminal acts. Those are NOT free speech. The Portland “protests” damaged many lives, tantamount to terrorism – and nobody did anything about it.
Actually, there were a number of people arrested and convicted for Portland.
*https://www.koin.com/news/protests/portland-protest-arrests-by-the-numbers-through-feb-2021/*
*https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/pr/74-people-facing-federal-charges-crimes-committed-during-portland-demonstrations*
This must stop. There should be NO protests supporting anybody other than Israel. There is no such thing as a Palestinian let alone a Palestinian- American. They are Arabs that nobody wants. It’s that simple. This is just more virtue signaling for the leftist weirdoes who apparently don’t read or know history. Egypt could easily stop this mess by allowing the Gazans to cross their border. But they don’t. Why not if the Palestinians are so wonderful and are abused? Because the Palestinians are just a group of outcasts, that’s why. Kind of like what we call “white trash” except Arab and Muslim. If one wants to go down that rabbit hole of the claim of “native land rights”, then no current nation can state they are actually ruled by the indigenous or “native” peoples. Even if a case is made, more than likely, those in charge now are from a different ethic or tribe than those who were the first inhabitants. They are/were conquerors of other peoples. All nations for all of history. EVERY SINGEL LAST ONE OF US. We need to stop viewing the past through the eyes of the present – it’s a form of insanity that is not progressing our species towards a common soul.
Are they all Americans or invaders from the border?
Protest? All I am seeing is manufactured lies and antisemitism hate.