NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ADOPTS NEW SPEECH CODE MAKING ZIONISM A PROTECTED CATEGORY

Thu 29 August 2024:

Students at New York University (NYU) who speak out against Zionism will risk violating the school’s newly adopted non-discrimination policies. New speech codes unveiled by the university places anyone who identifies as a “Zionist” under the category of a protected class of person, shielding the ideology and its followers from being subject to “discriminatory comments”.

The new guidelines places Zionism — an ethno-nationalist political ideology founded in the late 19th century — in the same category as a person’s race and gender, making it the only political ideology to be granted such status.

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“Using code words such as ‘Zionist’ does not eliminate the possibility that your speech violates the NDAH Policy,” said NYU in its new guidelines, referring to the university’s updated non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy (NDAH). “Speech and conduct that would violate the NDAH if targeting Jewish or Israeli people can also violate the NDAH if directed toward Zionists.”

Pro-Palestinian groups responded to the news with alarm. “The new guidance sets a dangerous precedent by extending Title VI protections to anyone who adheres to Zionism, a nationalist political ideology, and troublingly equates criticism of Zionism with discrimination against Jewish people,” said the NYU chapter of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (NYU FSJP), referring to the US law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, colour or national origin.

“The new guidance implies that any nationalist political ideology (Hindu nationalism, Christian nationalism, etc.) that is integrated into some members of that group’s understanding of their own racial or ethnic identity should be entitled to civil rights protections.”

The student group went on to warn that, “This is a disturbing development that will legitimise far-right and ethnonationalist ideologies under the guise of protecting students from racial discrimination.” It accused NYU of “weaponising” Title VI.

The updated guidelines from NYU come as the new school semester is set to begin next week. The university witnessed pro-Palestinian protests throughout last year. Protesters called for an end to the school’s investments in companies profiting from Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

Critics took to social media to slam the move. “At NYU, it’s ‘discrimination’ to criticise a genocidal ethno-state,” said one popular commentator on X.