Lawfare/IHRA - Targeting Academia

U.S. college campuses have for years been ground zero for battles over the right to free speech and protest in support of Palestinian rights and critical of Israel/Zionism. Over the past 25 years, numerous complaints and lawsuits have been filed—led in many cases by a handful of outside groups—seeking to delegitimize and stifle Palestine-related free speech and activism.

This trend was given even more fuel by the "Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism" signed on December 11, 2019 by then-President Donald Trump. Trump's EO—which remains in force today—mandates that, "It shall be the policy of the executive branch to enforce Title VI against prohibited forms of discrimination rooted in anti-Semitism as vigorously as against all other forms of discrimination prohibited by Title VI."  Trump's EO goes on to require that executive departments and agencies (agencies) charged with enforcing Title VI "shall consider" the IHRA definition of antisemitism, including its "Contemporary Examples of Anti-Semitism," many of which are focused on delegitimizing criticism of Israel.

This table tracks major cases of pro-Israel/anti-Palestinian lawfare targeting academia, 2011-present. For further exploration of this topic and specific cases, check out the excellent work of Palestine Legal.