Attacks on Free Speech

In the past week, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu unilaterally shattered the ceasefire. His extremist government, already responsible for the suffering of millions in Palestine and the region, has resumed the genocidal bombardment of Gaza, killing in just 5 days over 700 Palestinian noncombatants, most of whom were children, and injuring over 900. This is on top of Israel imposing a total blockade for nearly three weeks, during which no humanitarian aid of any kind, no water, food, fuel, or medicine has entered the desperate population of Gaza. So that we don’t allow such atrocities to be normalized, we must keep naming the humanitarian blockade and the bombardment for what they are - flagrant Israeli violations of international humanitarian law and the negotiated ceasefire. It must be remembered that Israel never stopped killing Palestinians (over 170) during the first stage of the “ceasefire.” Meanwhile, objective observers have confirmed that Hamas has upheld their side of the agreement. It is abundantly clear, as even moderate commentators have stated, that Netanyahu does not want peace. In fact, he has every incentive to keep slaughtering Palestinians. He has a green light from the Trump Administration and the Congress., who continue to peddle the self-defense-against-terrorism nonsense. He will not be restrained or held accountable by Washington. Moreover, as soon as the bombardment resumed, the Israeli prosecutors investigating the Prime Minister’s corruption charges canceled their hearing. And Itamar Ben-Gvir, the most far-right extremist in the Israeli government, rejoined the Netanyahu cabinet, further strengthening the pro-genocide, pro-annexation coalition.

A federal judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to hold legal proceedings regarding Columbia University graduate and Palestinian solidarity activist Mahmoud Khalil in New Jersey. This decision means the government must transfer Khalil from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Louisiana where it now holds him to New Jersey. This is good news for Khalil and his family and supporters. It opens up the possibility that Khalil, a permanent US resident holding a green card, may be able to be released pending further action on his case and be present for the birth of his first-born child. While we take heart from the ruling of the federal judge handling his case, it remains to be seen if the Trump Administration will comply with the court.

In yet another troubling incident of the Trump administration failing to uphold individual rights, Lebanese professor and physician, Prof. Rasha Alaweih, was denied due process and suddenly deported. Employed by Brown University in Rhode Island, she was removed from the United States, despite holding a valid work visa. The sudden deportation defied the order of Judge Leo Sorokin who had blocked her immediate removal from the country until a hearing could be held. The Customs and Border Patrol agents alleged that Prof. Alaweih is a “terrorist supporter.” This serious charge is apparently based on three things: Prof. Alaweih attended the funeral of the spiritual leader of Hezbollah, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated on September 27, 2024, she praised his sermons and speeches from a religious perspective, and she had photos of the Hezbollah leader and copies of his sermons on her phone. While the United States considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization, the European Union distinguishes between its civil administration and its militant wing, and considers only its militant wing as terrorist. Was Professor Alaweih removed from this country because she valued the spiritual writings of a Shiite cleric and paid her respects at his funeral? Does the opinion of government authorities that anything other than full-throated condemnation of Hezbollah, a multi-faceted Lebanese liberation movement, constitutes “support for terrorism”? And what if a spiritually-minded professor from Lebanon sees it differently? Does that leave her open to being denied due process and suddenly deported?

Free speech advocates stress that it is vitally important for ordinary citizens who cherish these constitutional liberties to speak up frequently, loudly, and with as many others as possible. If no one, or very few, object to government authorities threatening the protected right to free speech, it makes it seem that this is “no big deal” or “business as usual.” Inaction, whether from not wanting to get involved or feeling worn down and exhausted or trusting the issue to others, inevitably contributes to the normalization of these attacks on free speech and dissent. On the other hand, scholars of authoritarianism such as Professor Timothy Snyder, author of the best-selling book, On Tyranny, point out that even a seemingly unimportant, isolated act of resistance to tyranny can embolden others who are concerned by what they are seeing in society. It can mean the difference between others raising their voices or turning away and doing nothing. I have witnessed this phenomenon over decades of Palestine liberation work. Speaking up, attending rallies, making your views known, definitely makes a difference. It raises awareness. It fortifies those who are inclined to take a stand but need encouragement. There is strength in numbers. We are stronger together.