ATTACK: Free Speech Under Fire w/ Prof. John Mearsheimer | Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom

➡ Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom talks about equating political speech, like supporting Palestinians’ right to a government and criticizing the IDF, with violence. This viewpoint is seen as a threat to academia and society. The focus is on the dangerous tactics used by some protesters, such as taking over buildings on college campuses, which happened in the 1960s. However, labeling these students as terrorists is considered excessive.

Part of the problem of equating legitimate political speech, we think the Palestinians have the right to a government. We think that the IDF is committing genocide. Perfectly legitimate political statements. She’s equating that with violence. Exactly. I mean, what she represents is a fundamental threat to academia and to the United States at large, the broader society. I mean, it’s just a terrible situation that we’re in. What she’s trying to do is talk about tactics that these protesters are using that are so dangerous. What kind of threats do we see that are so dangerous on college campuses? Yes, at one or two places, the students have taken over the administration building or different building.

This happened in the late 1960s. Not that big a deal. Those students should be punished for taking over a building. Okay. But the talk, I mean, the idea that these students are terrorists and you noticed how she linked them with terrorists is just nonsense. She said they were terrorists because they wore Palestinian headbands and replayed a speech by Osama bin Laden. This is crazy. You’re allowed to do that. People can sympathize with Hamas. I understand why many Americans, including many American Jews, for sure, do not like to hear that kind of rhetoric. They don’t want to hear people sympathizing with Hamas.

But this is the United States of America. And you’re allowed to say that you sympathize with Hamas. And you’re allowed to say that you sympathize with what the IDF is doing in Gaza. That’s what freedom of speech is all about. But again, the thing you have to understand, Judge, is that once you open up these debates, and allow people to say what they want, this does enormous damage to Israel’s image in the United States. It does enormous damage to the lobby and to the U.S.-Israeli relationship. And they don’t want that..

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