York University's Free Pass for Anti-Israel Speech

A number of readers have suggested that York University's separate policies governing pro- and anti-Israel speech is motivated by active sympathy with the anti-Israel disrupters. That's certainly possible. The more likely motive however is not sympathy, but cowardice.

Patrick Monahan, provost of York and former dean of the Osgoode Hall law school (!) is the man in charge of explaining York's policy on pro- and anti-Israel speech.

He has explained that policy in a letter to the editor of the National Post, but here in a private letter to a concerned citizen he offers greater detail. From the context of the whole letter, I don't think I'm violating privacy by reproducing the relevant portion:

You have made particular mention of an event that was planned by CUFI involving a number of high profile external speakers and which ultimately did not proceed. I might add that the York University policy of charging for additional costs associated with policing when it is required for high profile events is one that is followed at many other universities, including those in the Greater Toronto area. Moreover, it has been applied here at York not just in relation to this particular event, but in relation to events organized by other student groups from differing political perspectives. In this case, the student group had initially agreed to fund the security policing cost of approximately $1200, but ultimately decided that they did not wish to proceed.

York's message to the pro-Israel students in short is this:

"If we, in our judgment, think that others will attempt to disrupt your free speech rights, then we will impose the cost of their misconduct on you."

And since York rarely or never disciplines anti-Israel students for disruption, even violent disruption, of pro-Israel events, the message to anti-Israel students is this:

"Whenever you hear anything you don't like, go ahead and interrupt. You will face no penalty - and we will do our best to ensure that such speech is discouraged in future on the York campus."

York would not need to hire so many police if it announced in advance a clear policy: students who disrupt on-campus events will be expelled. The first expulsion would cause a fuss, but the offense would not recur. Instead, York invites and incentivizes disruption of pro-Israel events. So naturally that is what it gets.

A number of readers have suggested that the York University administration is motivated by active sympathy with the anti-Israel disrupters. That's certainly possible. The more likely motive however is not sympathy, but cowardice.

There is however one thing that administrators are even more afraid of than trouble - and that is loss of money and prestige. York is already short on both. Friends of Israel and freedom should act to ensure that York's rations are even tighter in future. York's nickname is already "Last Chance U." Prospective employers need to understand that "Last Chance U" is now also allowing itself to be governed as  "Hezbollah U."