Over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7 in Gaza. Because of this, we have seen the community, including students, protesting American involvement in the funding and support of Israel.
In order to try and curb student protests around the country, the recent “Anti-Semitism Awareness Act” (HR 6090) was introduced and approved by the House. This bill would expand the definition of antisemitism in Title VI in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the current version of the bill, which is headed to the Senate, antisemitism would include the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity.”
While antisemitism is a real thing and should be taken seriously, why is the country of Israel included here? Since when did the United States, the land of free speech, include criticizing a foreign government as part of the definition of discrimination? This would be equivalent to stating that anyone who criticizes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must also be Islamophobic.
Furthermore, at many of the pro-Palestine protests, there are a significant number of Jews and prominent Jewish groups present in support. This bill could have a major impact on free speech across this country, especially for students of higher education who have the right to express dismay and discontent over foreign policy and exactly what their tax dollars are going towards.
Sharifa Al-Qaaydeh, Sandy