Gili

A few words about the protests/encampments at Columbia: Back in December 2018, when I was a junior, a white student named Julian Von Abele was filmed going on an ethno-centric rant about how much he loved white people. He said things like: “White people are the best thing that ever happened to the world,” and “We invented science and industry, and you want to tell us to stop because ‘Oh My God we’re so bad’”. He was careful to add the caveat: “I don’t hate other people. I just love white men”. The video went viral on campus. He was unanimously condemned: by students, professors and administrators alike. He was even banned from Barnard’s campus––though the “incident” didn’t even happen on Barnard’s campus. Race pride is the opiate of weak individuals. I have always thought so. Nevertheless, I defended Julian at the time––not on the grounds that he was right, but on the grounds that he had every right to express his dumb beliefs without fear of being disciplined or banned from a campus for doing so. I don’t recall anyone at Columbia who publicly came to his defense at the time. Fast forward 5 years: we now have Columbia students chanting “Globalize the Intifada” and “From the River to the Sea” en masse. To my ear, these slogans suggest support for, at minimum, violence against Jewish civilians in Israel––much worse than anything Von Abele advocated. Yet all the same people who were silent or supportive of his cancellation have suddenly discovered the virtues of unbridled free speech. Forgive me if I don’t believe it for a second. Let’s not deceive ourselves into thinking that any of these people value liberal principles. They don’t. They believe in the destruction of Israel––which they erroneously categorize as an colonialist entity––and they will use every liberal principle, selectively and cynically, to further that goal. But let me be clear: I completely support their right to say all of these slogans. Students should be allowed to chant “Globalize the Intifada” and “From the River to the Sea”. These are slogans whose meaning is contested. What it means to your ear is not necessarily what it means to an idiotic Columbia student whose only knowledge of the Israel-Palestine conflict comes from Instagram posts also made by idiots. Free speech is never about protecting speech you agree with. It’s always about protecting speech you hate. That is precisely the speech which needs protecting. Having defended the Von Abele’s of the world, no one will accuse me of being a hypocrite. Of course, when they cross the line from speech into prohibited actions––creating zones where certain kinds of students (e.g., Zionists) can’t enter; human chains that prevent freedom of movement for other students; harassment/stalking of specific students, and so forth––then they must be disciplined to the full extent of campus policy and the law. If they want to get arrested or expelled, then schools and police should grant that wish without a hint of guilt. Let them explain to their parents why they threw away $70,000/year over a foreign conflict that they barely understand. Still, the punchline must be: Hypocrites deserve free speech too.