Freedom of Speech Imperiled

FREEDOM OF SPEECH IMPERILED

Many in the US, especially on college campuses, have protested the overwhelming force used against Palestinian residents of Gaza by Israel since Oct. 2023, resulting in almost 50,000 Palestinian deaths. Among the protesters have been more than a few Jewish students. But the Trump administration considers anti-Israel speech as anti-Semitic and is upset as what it calls “radicalism” on college campuses.

Trump wants to take action. So he has detained a Palestinian protest leader named Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident (with the same First Amendment rights as a US citizen), and husband of a US citizen, and sent him to a detention center in Louisiana, away from his family and legal help and in a federal judicial district known for conservative decisions. He has been charged with no crime. Trump has said his case was “the first arrest of many to come.” Trump has also cancelled $400 million of grants and contracts with Columbia University citing “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”

One is reminded of the “Red scare” of the late 40s and early 50s. Even if Mr. Khalil is vindicated, his life will have been seriously disrupted, and many will conclude that it is dangerous to protest. That, unfortunately, is the idea behind the arrest. 

Sources: The New York Times, 3/11 and 14/ 2025