Bill in congress aims to curb campus anti-Israel statements

The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would allow civil rights investigations involving anti-Israel political statements. The impetus of the legislation was the establishment of mock West Bank checkpoints at UC Berkeley by pro-Palestinian activists. Jewish students felt intimidated by the checkpoints. The Senate passed the bill with bipartisan support and sent it to the House. The bill states it does not limit First Amendment rights but allows the Education Departments Office of Civil Rights to consider the State Departments definition of anti-Semitism when investigating discrimination claims. (Forward, December 5, 2016, by Josh Nathan-Kazis)

Liz Jackson of Palestine Legal in Oakland writes that the bill called the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act would deny the First Amendment rights of students to criticize Israel. The State Department definition of anti-Semitism includes “delegitimizing” or “demonizing” Israel or holding the country to a “double standard.” “The State Department standard,” argues Jackson, “…conflates criticism of Israeli policies with anti-Jewish hatred, shutting down debate by suggesting that anyone who looks critically at Israeli policy is somehow beyond the pale.” That type of censorship has no place on campuses which should be places of vigorous debate on critical issues of our day writes Jackson.  (Los Angeles Times, December 6, 2016)

Nick Bolger of The Washington Free Beacon, December 5, 2016, cites a report from the New York Post published this week that charges that American universities have done little to curb hate speech and actions against Jews and Israel. He complains that too often behavior such as pranks and threats were considered protected under the First Amendment.