We see the damage done to students. They say they avoid certain courses not because they cannot have hard conversations but because their perspectives are rejected and belittled. As well, they are forced to use course materials that make lurid, false claims about Jews and Israelis and that include data drawn from Hamas publications. Fellow students and their professors single them out to answer for the actions of the Israeli government.
Academic freedom is supposed to encourage the exploration of challenging ideas without fear of reprisal. This is crucial for intellectual growth, yet departments have published statements claiming that the only correct position on this conflict is one that aligns itself with the destruction of Israel. Some even justify rape and murder as tools for liberation. Departments sign one-sided statements demonizing Israel, stifling alternative viewpoints and imposing loyalty tests.
Anti-Israel activists claim they are being silenced while cynically demanding boycotts of Israeli academics. Make no mistake. Boycott and divestment are threats to academic freedom and responsible university governance. Anti-Semitism presents a serious and urgent threat to campus culture and student safety. Our leaders must acknowledge and confront its ugliness, its new and evolving forms, and the harm it poses.
Thank you.