Nobody should be afraid to attend college. Yet, across the United States, colleges have become the epicenter of anti-Israel protests. It’s all over social media, signs with vulgar messages, and tents blocking walking paths planted all over college campuses in the United States. The advocates and students are trying to implicate a message to the government with what little voice they have, however, their efforts are causing more harm than productivity. Although the majority of these protests are peaceful, and the main intention is to demand an end to the tragic war a handful of them are creating a threatening environment for Jewish students.
As a response to current anti-Semitic protests in May 2024, the U.S. government implemented an amended Anti-Semitism Act. However, the law isn’t just about protecting Jewish individuals; there are violations of freedom in this law.
The law, which passed 320-91, may be much more of a threat than it initially seems. Firstly, there are major flaws in this bill. The American Civil Liberties Union noted, “it equates protected political speech with unprotected discrimination, and enshrining it into regulation would chill the exercise of First Amendment rights and risk undermining the Department of Education’s legitimate and important efforts to combat discrimination. Criticism of Israel and its policies is political speech, squarely protected by the First Amendment.” The American Civil Liberties Union viewpoint on the bill may seem far-stretched and dystopian however it may be more accurate than it seems.
At first glance, this bill may have appeared to be meant to protect Jewish individuals, especially due to rising tensions, but after analyzing it you can see it is truly ill-intended against the media. The law uses vague wording to describe what is considered banned like pro-Palestinian terms such as “75 years of Occupation” and so on may be perceived as antisemitic. Instead of limiting youth voices, we should encourage them to help cooperate and negotiate laws that aren’t biased. Regardless, this bill has been faced recently with support and opposition. The bill itself may give the government surplus power, allowing it to overrun amendments and not be used as intended. This law will also silence the voice of the youth.
Critics argue that the legislation is a limitation of freedom of speech, something America prides itself on, while supporters say it’s a necessary step to ending discrimination and antisemitism. The NPR depicts the dystopian perspective on the law emphasizing how vague the wording of it is and how it can be weaponized against the people.
Critics of the bill also argue that this law could contradict the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects the right to freedom of assembly, the press, speech, and, ironically enough, religion. They worry that the government could exploit this legislation or find loopholes to prevent political expression regarding Israel, limiting voices that seek to address the complex realities of the conflict. We see how loopholes have been used previously such as in the 13th Amendment, and how catastrophic it could be. It shouldn’t be an issue in the 21st century that we are not allowed to express our political beliefs on the matter, specifically considering America’s growing influence in the war. This conflict brings to light crucial questions about finding the right balance between safeguarding individuals from hate and upholding the fundamental right to free speech. Ultimately, the law’s effectiveness will hinge on how it will be played out, due to its indefinite wording.
On the contrary, advocates of the law maintain the idea that these laws will be initially used to protect Jewish students on campuses. Supporters argue that the Antisemitism Awareness Act is crucial in de-escalating the rates of antisemitism in America. In fact, CNN highlights how common denigration and physical assaults have happened in America. These alarming rates of acts of violence have recently led to hate crimes on synagogues in Los Angeles. The article also reports on how in recent years the Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel demonstrators participating in these protests on campus, have rippled the social fabric of America.
This law will help heal decades of trauma Jewish people have endured from hate crimes. For many years, Jewish communities in America have been the target of unspeakable tragic events. According to Statistica, in 2022 alone, there were 3697 documented cases of anti-Semitic incidents. However, the majority of victims are too afraid or feel too threatened to report such incidents so the number may be much higher. It is very urgent for these laws to be passed especially considering that Jewish Americans are one of the largest minorities, at the moment and are prone to being at risk of more attacks given the political circumstances. We should not, however, enforce laws that silence young voices.
As debates surround the Israel-Hamas war, it’s significant for the youth to implicate their political beliefs while simultaneously important to be tolerant to anyone regardless of religion, political ideologies, race, gender, and differing viewpoints on the matter.
Written by Caroline Zera
