Senate Bill 148 has been deemed necessary in Florida’s public universities. This bill encompasses the required audit for Jewish-related courses. Ray Rodrigues, Florida Chancellor of State Education, says in congruence with Gov. Ron DeSantis’s instruction, there will be a need for an outside committee that reviews each Jewish-related course. While this might seem to have elements of control over free expression in college education, these acts have been made in reaction to antisemitic course material in FIU’s Jewish-related courses. A multiple-choice test question asked, “if Zionist organizations invented terrorism.” This was a terrible sight to witness.
Rodrigues states the terms this committee should look for when detecting anti-semitic material are the following: "Israel, Israeli, Palestine, Palestinian, Middle East, Zionism, Zionist, Judaism, Jewish or Jews." While these words alone do not present an antisemitic narrative, Rodrigues notes the definition of anti-semitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition: “claim that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavor."
I align ideologically with Thomas Jefferson’s principles of free inquiry through the role of education, however, I find it necessary to establish the safety of citizens beforehand. In the case of education, information in college courses can be potentially harmful to specific minorities. Professors should have careful consideration in what they decide to relay to their students.
After the attacks of Oct. 7, many Jewish schools were targeted. According to the Anti Defamation League, an organization that tracks anti-semitism, “312 antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7-23, 2023, 190 of which were directly linked to the war in Israel and Gaza.” The connection between the Israeli-Hamas War and its impact on antisemitism in the U.S. can be seen in the aftermath of Oct. 7. This became more personal when my father told me that a suspect was found with firearms not too far from my little brother’s school. This disturbed me and created genuine concern for my family’s safety.
I have always wondered why the intersection between the ethnic identity of a Jew and the connections to Israel triggers violence in people who disagree with the culmination of the state of Israel. Perhaps the only explanation is irrational hatred toward the Jewish people.
Looking back at Senate Bill 148, Council on American-Islamic Relations created a public statement about the bill, stating it “infringes on our constitutionally guaranteed free speech rights to critique unlawful Israeli policies.” The bill is focused on specifically protecting Jewish people's safety, and it does not restrict criticism of the state of Israel. It restricts questioning Israel’s existence. CAIR fails to recognize the danger involved when professors are capable of asking students if “Zionism invented terrorism?” Sen. Lori Berman argues this bill does not censor arguments against Israel policy, but it sets a boundary when you question the validity of the state's existence. The state’s culmination is rooted as a safe haven after the horrors Jews lived through during World War II. This is a reminder, which seems necessary to be reinforced, that six million Jews died — an almost complete genocide on a ethnic minority.
The state of Israel's culmination has been a safe haven and a resurrection for Jewish traditions. The Torah and prayer books constantly quote the land of Israel in their daily religious practices. Jews of all generations had dreamed of seeing Israel because it is rooted in their religion. Courses that can question Israel’s existence is a direct attack on Jewish identity.
In order to create a safe dialogue administered through education we first need to be aligned in the principle of the safety of all peoples. Questioning the state of Israel’s existence through the tools of education weaponizes against the Jewish people’s very own existence.
Although I am a proponent in the exchange of dialogue, I believe the steps made by DeSantis are rooted in stabilizing the security for its Florida residents. Before we can practice free inquiry through the role of education we must ensure safety. I hope we can evolve as a people and move to the next stage — respectful dialogue. May we create a round table of people with different backgrounds where we value the lives of each person.
Abraham Hilu is a UF political science senior.
