A democratic government is composed of members who espouse a diverse range of views. In turn, a free society can offer a forum for said members to share those views. The people have the right to choose who speaks for them—or to them. Unfortunately, certain of our lovely neighbors cannot tolerate when a minister from another country comes for a visit. Nor can they stand it when people dissent against chants of death and destruction to Israel.
The First Amendment right to free speech exists for the purpose of being able to counter speech we dissent from with our own ideas—but stops at threats of physical violence.
President George Washington foresaw all of this when he told his American Jewish friend Haym Salomon that this country will not tolerate intolerance. Yes, people can disagree, but if you block differing viewpoints from being shared you are choking free speech. Diversity and inclusion? Not in our backyard, says the U.S. branch of Hamas!
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Crown Heights and elsewhere have sought to shut down free speech, debate and the exchange of ideas all over the visit of Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir to the U.S. Iran’s leaders weren’t given such a “warm” welcome when they went to the United Nations!
Ben-Gvir has the right to speak, and people should be allowed to hear him speak. I certainly do not agree with everything he says, but the public square is simply not public if we allow for Palestinian protesters to speak but not Israeli politicians. The U.S. hosts many politicians; these state visits do not necessarily constitute the views of this country. Further, American groups can exercise their right to free speech by inviting foreign dignitaries to speak. When this is not tolerated, but physically blocking Jewish students from going to classes is, then America is contradicting the very Constitution it was founded upon. This is something George Washington would frown upon. Hopefully, sanity will prevail and Ben-Gvir will be given a forum to share his views.
