Washington, D.C. – A prominent civil rights group in the United States has urged colleges and universities to respect freedom of expression and resist calls to investigate or disband student organizations that promote Palestinian rights.
In an open letter to academic institutions on Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned against politically motivated efforts to police campus speeches, which could “destroy the foundation on which academic communities are built.”
The letter comes amid heightened tensions in American academia as the war between Israel and Hamas enters its 26th day. Some campuses report pressure to crack down on critics of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, where an estimated 8,796 Palestinians have been killed.
“A college or university, public or private, cannot fulfill its mission as a forum for vigorous debate if its leaders initiate unsubstantiated investigations into those who express unfavorable or even repugnant views,” the ACLU letter said.
“Such investigations chill speech, promote an atmosphere of mutual distrust, and betray the spirit of free inquiry, which is based on the power to convince rather than the power to punish.”
Threats to university funding
Since the war broke out on October 7, debates about the conflict have intensified on college campuses.
Republican politicians have attacked Israel’s critics on college campuses, even going so far as to threaten to withhold federal funds if campus administrators do not rein in Palestinian rights activism.
Senator Tim Scott, a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, has introduced legislation to “rescind federal education funding for colleges and universities that promote anti-Semitism,” citing a Palestinian literature festival at the University of Pennsylvania as an example.
And the State University System of Florida called on public institutions under its control to dismantle chapters of the advocacy group Students for Justice in Palestine (SPJ), citing alleged ties to “terrorist groups.”
The decision, the state university system said, was made in consultation with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another Republican presidential candidate.
The Anti-Defamation League and the Brandeis Center, two pro-Israel groups, also sent a joint letter to universities this week calling for investigations into Students for Justice in Palestine.
“We call on university leaders to immediately investigate their SJP chapters on their campus to determine whether they have improper funding sources, have violated the school’s code of conduct, violated state or federal laws, and/or are providing material support to Hamas , a foreign terrorist organization. ,” the ADL letter said.
It also warned that if universities fail “to monitor the activities of their SJP chapters, they may be violating the legal rights of their Jewish students to be free from harassment and discrimination on campus.”
![Protesters crowd the lawn of Harvard University to show support for Palestinian rights.](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-10-14T211932Z_2050289641_RC2IS3A1OGGS_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-PROTESTS-USA-1698871938.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
ACLU denounces the call for investigation
On Wednesday, the ACLU specifically rejected the ADL’s call for “major investigations” into student organizations.
The group acknowledged that the war in Gaza “has roiled campuses across the country” and led to an increase in threats and concerns about personal safety.
Many Palestinian rights defenders have complained about intimidation tactics, public shaming and doxxing, a practice in which their personal information is publicly disseminated, often online.
Some students also fear that their career prospects will be jeopardized if they speak out. For example, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, last month published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal titled Don’t Hire My Anti-Semitic Law Students, referring to student activists who oppose Zionism.
Jewish students have also reported anti-Semitic incidents, including violent online threats at Cornell University, a prestigious Ivy League school. On Wednesday, police arrested 21-year-old Cornell student Patrick Dai over messages threatening to kill and rape Jewish people.
The ACLU said that while it does not take sides in conflicts overseas, it “strongly opposes efforts to suppress free speech, free association and academic freedom here at home.”
“In the name of these principles, we urge you to reject calls to investigate, disband or sanction student groups based on their exercise of the right to freedom of expression,” the letter said.
The ACLU also denounced the Florida university system’s decision to deactivate SPJ chapters.
“In the absence of any indication that these student organizations are themselves engaged in unlawful activities, or have violated valid university policies, both the First Amendment and fundamental principles of academic freedom firmly oppose any attempt to punish them for their protected speech and associations ,” the ACLU said.
“We urge you to adhere to the best traditions of our country and reject unfounded calls to investigate or punish student groups for exercising their rights to free speech.”