The University of Arkansas Imposes a 'Loyalty Test' to Israel on a Jewish Author and Cancels the Event

Academic freedom threatened as Jewish author silenced over views on Israel at the University of Arkansas.

on Nov 01, 2023

Academic freedom is under attack in the United States, with a Jewish author being silenced for his opinion on Israel. Nathan Thrall, an American-Jewish professor, was barred from speaking at the University of Arkansas because he refused to sign a vow of commitment to Israel. Thrall was scheduled to speak about his groundbreaking new book, which exposes Palestinian life under occupation, until the University canceled the event due to a restrictive anti-boycott statute.

"I was just told that I cannot speak at @UArkansas unless I sign a pledge that I will not boycott Israel or its occupation," Thrall said yesterday on X, indicating that he had defied the demand. "A state law passed in 2017 requires @UArkansas to impose this McCarthyist requirement." A reminder that the current campaign to suppress free expression is not new."

Thrall also reported that due to listener complaints, events for the book were canceled on NPR and the BBC's American platforms. "I'm quite sure that a book advocating for Israel would not have had its advertisements pulled," he said. "There's an atmosphere that is wholly intolerant of any expression of sympathy for Palestinians under Occupation."

Over 30 US states have passed laws to stifle the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. These anti-BDS regulations, backed by pro-Israel lobbying groups, make it illegal for state entities to contract with or invest in companies that boycott the apartheid state. Some even force individuals and businesses to sign a pledge not to boycott Israel as a condition of receiving state contracts.

Critics contend that this amounts to an unlawful political litmus test that involves expressing devotion to Israel and its policies at the expense of free expression and political disagreement. The American Civil Liberties Union has branded anti-BDS legislation a "serious violation of the First Amendment" since it requires people to prove they do not support boycotts for Palestinian rights.

High-profile incidents, such as the cancellation of author engagements due to unwillingness to sign anti-BDS pledges, demonstrate how the laws suppress Israel criticism and action. Rights groups argue that when states engage as "enforcers" of Israeli policy, requiring ideological purity on this divisive issue as a condition for contracts, core democratic foundations are weakened.