‘Antisemitism’ investigations at US universities focus on criticism of Israel, not hatred of Jews
A new report has revealed that most of the investigations related to so-called “antisemitism” at American universities target criticism of Israel rather than hatred towards Jewish people.
A senior member of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) said that civil rights law “is being cynically misused to suppress political dissent and speech that defends Palestinian rights.”
According to the report titled “Discriminating Against Dissent: The Weaponization of Civil Rights Law to Repress Campus Speech on Palestine”, released this week by the AAUP and the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), pro-Israel and right-wing organizations under both the Biden and Trump administrations have pushed for an increase in federal investigations.
These investigations, the report noted, have blurred the line between genuine antisemitism and criticism by academics and students of the US-backed Israeli government and its ongoing military assault on the Gaza Strip.