CHARBONNEAU – Universities back away from free speech in Israel conflict

UNIVERSITIES PROMOTE THEMSELVES as bastions of free speech. But that claim is being tested with comments made by student unions in support of Palestine.

Politicians and union leaders may be fair game for censure but universities must protect free speech.

Freedom of speech, even speech that may be offensive or odious to some, is a core value of academic freedom.

Even that free-thinker, Doug Ford, recognized the value of free speech. In 2018, the new Ontario government required all postsecondary schools to adopt statements on campus free speech in line with the University of Chicago’s 2014 statement, which calls for the “broadest possible latitude” to speak and write.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), of which Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association is affiliated, actively defends academic freedom. They define it as the right to teach, learn, study and publish free of orthodoxy or threat of reprisal and discrimination.

Despite the obvious right of free speech, York University in Toronto has threatened to withdraw recognition of its student unions in response to their controversial statements.

The three York student unions issued a joint statement shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. The statement made no mention of Israeli victims and described what had occurred as an act of Palestinian resistance against “so-called Israel.”

And the student union at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus called Gaza “an open-air prison” and said the conflict was about the right to resist an “apartheid regime.”

Despite earlier support by the Ford government, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop said that the student unions who supported the actions of Hamas defended “rape, torture and mass murder.”

The president of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, said the Ontario government is now treading on ground that threatens academic freedom.

As a result of the massacre of innocent Israelis by Hamas terrorists, current public sentiment is in favour of Israel. That hasn’t always been the case. In past years, demonstrations against Israeli leaders have turned violent.

At Concordia University in Montreal, 2002, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (then a former prime minister) was prevented from speaking. Protesters and Netanyahu supporters clashed on the streets of Montreal.

And at York University in 2019, when a former Israeli soldier was invited to speak, the event broke down into verbal and physical confrontations.

Politicians have no such protection, at least not without consequences. Ontario New Democrats have kicked Hamilton Centre MPP Sarah Jama out of caucus, after she posted a controversial statement in support of Palestinians.

Nor do union leaders. Fred Hahn, CUPE Ontario president, despite having the support of many members, was condemned for making statements on social media in which he celebrated Palestine “resistance” and criticized Israel. Bowing to criticism from politicians and right-wing commentators who used the occasion to issue a broader attack on unions, Hahn backed down.

On X he tweeted: “I just had a conversation with Prime Minister @netanyahu. I reiterated my condemnation of Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel and its right to defend itself.”

Academics should be exempt from censure. Measured opinions are part of a free and open democracy.

David Charbonneau is a retired TRU electronics instructor who hosts a blog at http://www.eyeviewkamloops.wordpress.com.