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West Virginia University silenced a Jewish student with a no-contact order after he dared to distribute a pro-Israel book on campus, igniting a fierce debate over whether conservative viewpoints can still be freely expressed in higher education institutions.
Key Takeaways
- Jewish pro-Israel student Eliyahu Itkowitz faced a five-month investigation and no-contact order for distributing Alan Dershowitz’s book “The Ten Big Anti-Israel Lies”
- A Muslim dining hall employee falsely claimed the book was “anti-Muslim” and reported Itkowitz to campus police and the university’s DEI office
- The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) condemned WVU for allowing its complaint process to be weaponized against protected speech
- Despite finding no evidence of wrongdoing, WVU still issued a no-contact order against Itkowitz, effectively chilling free speech on campus
- Similar incidents at other universities suggest a pattern of suppressing pro-Israel viewpoints under the guise of preventing harassment
Free Speech Under Siege at WVU
The simple act of distributing free literature supporting Israel led to months of investigation and restrictions for one Jewish student at West Virginia University. Eliyahu Itkowitz found himself targeted by the university’s disciplinary machinery after giving away copies of Alan Dershowitz’s book, “The Ten Big Anti-Israel Lies: And How to Refute Them with Truth“. The incident unfolded when Hannah Harper, a dining hall employee who had recently converted to Islam, accepted a copy of the book and later filed a complaint alleging it was an “anti-Muslim book,” setting in motion a troubling chain of events that raises serious questions about academic freedom and political bias.
Harper escalated the situation by falsely claiming to her manager that Itkowitz was banned from the dining hall, which led to campus police being called. Despite witness statements and video evidence contradicting Harper’s claims of inappropriate comments, the university proceeded with a lengthy investigation. “The university launched an investigation, despite the fact that even if all of her allegations against Eli were true, and there is evidence to suggest that they aren’t, all of the described actions constitute protected speech under the First Amendment,” said Jessie Appleby from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
Weaponizing University Processes Against Conservative Speech
This case represents a disturbing trend in higher education where complaint processes are being exploited to silence politically unpopular viewpoints. After a five-month investigation that found no evidence of wrongdoing, WVU still issued a no-contact order against Itkowitz, effectively punishing him for expressing pro-Israel views. The university’s actions send a chilling message to conservative students: sharing certain perspectives, even through established academic works, could result in administrative penalties. This stands in stark contrast to the free expression typically afforded to leftist causes on campus.
“Because the investigation itself threatened discipline, it chilled free speech. It lasted five months, exhaustive interviews, and the no-contact order even though it never found him guilty of misconduct. Eli should not feel threatened that exercising free speech will incur disciplinary sanctions,” said Jessie Appleby from FIRE.
FIRE has criticized WVU’s handling of the situation, arguing that the university should have conducted an internal review of the complaint to determine if it involved protected expression before launching a formal investigation. This failure to properly vet complaints allows ideological opponents to weaponize university processes against those they disagree with. “This case aptly demonstrates that WVU’s policy of investigating wholly protected expression has allowed students and staff to weaponize the complaint process to silence their ideological opponents,” Jessie Appleby stated.
A Pattern of Anti-Israel Bias on College Campuses
The incident at WVU is not isolated. Similar situations have emerged at other institutions, including Princeton, where pro-Israel students have faced no-contact orders after expressing their views. These cases highlight a troubling double standard in how universities respond to political expression. While anti-Israel protests and demonstrations are often permitted under the banner of free speech, pro-Israel perspectives face administrative obstacles and sanctions. This selective enforcement threatens the very foundation of academic discourse and intellectual diversity that universities should uphold.
“WVU has a responsibility to prevent discriminatory harassment, but in doing so it must not sacrifice its constitutional obligation to protect free speech,” stated The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
FIRE has called on WVU to revise its complaint handling process to prevent misuse against protected speech. The organization emphasized that maintaining a campus environment that supports the free exchange of ideas and rational dialogue is essential to the university’s mission. As taxpayer-funded institutions, public universities like WVU have a constitutional obligation to uphold First Amendment protections, regardless of whether certain viewpoints might offend some members of the campus community. The targeting of pro-Israel speech represents another disturbing example of how woke ideology has infiltrated our educational institutions.