CIJR | Canadian Institute for Jewish Research
L'institut Canadien de Recherches sur le Judaisme

Analysis

Free Speech, Antisemitism and the Fight for America’s Campuses

The drawing about demanding freedom of speech and freedom of the press. A tribute to the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo in 2015. Drawing by Arifur Rahman.- Wikipedia
The drawing about demanding freedom of speech and freedom of the press. A tribute to the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo in 2015. Drawing by Arifur Rahman.- Wikipedia


David E. Bernstein and David L. Bernstein
JNS, July 8, 2025

“The way forward is not to abandon liberal values in pursuit of short-term victories. It is to reclaim those values and demand that institutions of higher learning live up to them.”

The Hamas-led massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, horrified the Jewish world. For many American Jews, it felt personal. What followed on American college campuses further shocked American Jews. Rather than mourning or condemning Hamas’s atrocities, many individuals and student groups celebrated them, excused them or blamed Israel.

Chants of “globalize the intifada” and “from the river to the sea” spread across universities. Students praised “martyrs” and justified violence. Some mocked or denied the mass rapes and kidnappings that occurred. Jewish students, especially at elite campuses where they had long felt secure, found themselves harassed, pushed, spat on, and, in some cases, physically assaulted. They were sometimes prevented from entering school libraries or classrooms unless they condemned Zionism.

What makes this moment especially urgent is the contradiction between two core commitments: strong support for the freedom of speech, and the need for universities to protect Jewish students from discrimination and threats.

We come from different backgrounds. David E. is a libertarian-leaning law professor; David L. is a moderate Democrat and longtime Jewish communal professional. As we discussed in a recent article for the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, we agree on this: Protecting free expression and fighting antisemitism are not mutually exclusive. Liberal values are historically the most reliable protection for Jews.

The surge of antisemitism since Oct. 7 is not only about the Middle East but reflects a broader trend, the decline of liberal norms on campus. Jewish students are caught in the crosshairs of a movement that rejects open debate, enforces ideological orthodoxy and treats dissenters as moral enemies.

This should alarm all Americans, though Jews feel it acutely. Jews have flourished in liberal societies where open inquiry and equal protection prevailed. When those norms weaken, Jews are often the first to suffer. Defending free speech and civil rights is not just an abstract principle. It is, to borrow a familiar phrase, good for the Jews. … [To read the full article, click here]

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