Universities Struggle With Free Speech as Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Sparks Censorship
Universities globally have struggled with freedom of speech issues, especially concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A recent study shows 167 attempts to penalize students and student groups for expressing their views, with half succeeding. Administrators often cave to external pressures, leading to cancellations and sanctions.
One prominent case involves Asna Tabassum, the valedictorian at the University of Southern California. Administrators canceled her commencement speech due to her critical social media posts about Israel. Similarly, the University of Southern California and other institutions withdrew invitations to Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, following student demands.
Campus police at Brooklyn College forced art student Morgan Patten to remove signs saying 'Free Palestine' and 'Zionism is fascism' from her studio door. Meanwhile, professors like Seth Crosby at Washington University in St. Louis claim they've faced repercussions for expressing their views. FIRE, a non-profit organization, has recorded 138 deplatforming attempts, 77 sanction attempts, and 11 terminations targeting expression about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since Oct. 7, 2023.
Discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become increasingly challenging on college campuses. In 2023, one in four students mentioned it when asked about difficult topics, compared to one in eight in 2022. Students' confidence and trust in their school's administration to defend freedom of speech has also plummeted, especially where students faced arrests for establishing encampments.
Sanctions on scholars, students, and student groups, as well as deplatforming attempts, have become common and occur multiple times a week, with most concerning expression related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Administrators often cave to external pressures, leading to cancellations and sanctions. This trend raises concerns about freedom of speech and academic freedom on college campuses.
