Florida State Universities Must Dissolve Student Chapters That Support “Hamas Terrorism”
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — In coordination with Governor Ron DeSantis, the chancellor of Florida’s public university system is cracking down on student groups he says are providing support for “Hamas terrorism.”
In a letter to state universities, Chancellor Ray Rodrigues states that a group known as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) published a “toolkit” that refers to Hamas terrorists as “the resistance.” According to the letter, the organization published material stating: “Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement.”
FELONY ACTIVITY
The group, which has members affiliated with at least two Florida universities, is accused in the letter of felony activity under Florida law by “knowingly providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.”
“These chapters exist under the headship of the National Students for Justice in Palestine, who distributed a toolkit identifying themselves as part of the Operation AlAqsa Flood,” Rodrigues wrote.
“Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated,” Rodrigues wrote. “These two student chapters may form another organization that complies with Florida state statutes and university policies.”
REDFERN: DESANTIS GAVE THE ORDER
Rodrigues says the state university system will continue working with the governor’s office “to ensure we are all using all tools at our disposal to crack down on campus demonstrations that delve beyond protected First Amendment speech into harmful support for terrorist groups.”
Jeremy Redfern, the governor’s press secretary, said that DeSantis directed the Board of Governors to send notices to the University of Florida and the University of South Florida that their SJP chapters are to be removed from campus immediately.
“Governor Ron DeSantis ordered two state universities to deactivate chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) following their national chapter’s violation of Florida law against antisemitism,” Redfern said in a statement.
“This action violates Florida statutes that prohibit anti-Semitism and requires K-20 educational institutions to treat discrimination by students or employees motivated by anti-Semitic intent in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race,” Redfern added.
DeSantis condemned the Hamas attack in Israel and recently said he would cancel student visas and deport foreign nationals who support Hamas if elected president. He also called for a special legislative session in Florida to increase sanctions on Iran, which he believes is providing financial support to Hamas.
“FREEDOM FOR THE SPEECH WE HATE”
Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente told WFSU news last week that although she finds the Jewish community’s outrage over antisemitic rhetoric understandable, Floridians must not violate the promise of the First Amendment.
“First Amendment scholars have expressed their concerns that as understandable as our horror is of what happened in Israel, we can’t allow that horror to be transformed into an unconstitutional action,” Pariente said.
As the first Jewish woman to sit on the Florida Supreme Court, Pariente says her heart is with the victims of the attack. But the U.S. Constitution still governs.
Pointing to the 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Tinker v. the School Board, Pariente explained the court’s ruling that high school students could wear black armbands to express their solidarity with anti-war protesters who were holding rallies and burning their draft cards.
“The First Amendment teaches us that we must, in this country, have freedom for the speech we hate,” Pariente said. “So, the worse the speech is, as long as the speech is not inciting violence or threats of violence, it’s protected.”
Pariente said that personally she doesn’t support any student expressing solidarity with Hamas, but it is people’s actions that determine if they are crossing a line.
“Expressing support for Hamas, expressing support for Palestine, condemning Israel for working against a two-state solution is – in my view – appropriate subjects for discourse,” Pariente explained. “That’s where the line has got to be drawn.”
“DANGEROUS AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL”
Pariente’s interpretation of the situation is corroborated by a foundation dedicated to the protection of constitutional rights.
“The government cannot force public colleges to derecognize Students for Justice in Palestine chapters,” says Alex Griswold, Communications Campaign Manager for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
“There’s no indication from the chancellor’s letter that any action from Florida’s Students for Justice in Palestine groups went beyond expression fully protected by the First Amendment,” Griswold told The Florida Standard.
“This directive is a dangerous – and unconstitutional – threat to free speech. If it goes unchallenged, no one’s political beliefs will be safe from government suppression,” he added.