France Silences Palestine, Cites 'Academic Freedom'
The New Arab reports France has doubled down on censoring a Collège de France symposium on Palestine, citing 'academic freedom' concerns. Irony is officially dead. This isn't an isolated incident; France's crackdown on pro-Palestine expression began well before October 7th, with bans on demonstrations described by human rights groups as disproportionate and discriminatory. Recall the 2005 law
criminalizing boycott calls against Israel, a clear pre-emptive strike against legitimate protest. (Amnesty International, 2023) Apparently, 'academic freedom' in France now means freedom to agree with the prevailing narrative or face the guillotine of institutional censorship. The same governments that champion free speech globally are increasingly curtailing it domestically when it touches on
uncomfortable truths about their allies or their own policies. One might wonder if 'criticism' is only acceptable when it's directed away from state interests. How many scholars must be silenced before 'dialogue' becomes 'dictate'?