British Universities Are Repressing Free Speech on Palestine
In the last three months, several hundred people in Britain have been investigated or threatened with dismissal at work for expressing pro-Palestinian views. This is the biggest attack on free speech for decades, and universities are its main battleground.
Students and pro-Palestinian supporters gather outside King’s College to take part in a pro-Palestine protest in London, United Kingdom, on July 9, 2021. (Wiktor Szymanowicz / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In late October, a lecturer at a UK university was told he would be investigated by his employer for misconduct after students complained about one of his social media posts. Christopher (not his real name) was criticized for sharing a statement by education workers in Palestine asking for support in the face of Israeli air strikes.
Among other points, the statement noted how arguments in support of military action by Israel had been taken up by news media around the world. According to the complainants, this observation was tainted by antisemitic tropes. By sharing the statement, they argued, Christopher had made the university unsafe for Jewish students.
When Christopher realized he was being investigated, he says,
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