US Students Fear Professional Backlash over Activism Amid Israel-Hamas War

US university students express growing concerns over potential job loss and professional consequences for publicly expressing their views on the Israel-Hamas conflict; fears heightened by high profile cases and reports of harassment and threats.

• The fear of professional backlash for expressing views on the Israel-Hamas conflict is growing among US university students. High profile cases and reports of harassment and threats have intensified these concerns.
• Several prominent cases illustrate the damaging professional consequences that can stem from publicly expressing views on the Israel-Hamas war. For instance, a top Hollywood agent resigned from the board of Creative Artists Agency (CAA) after facing backlash for comparing Israeli actions to “genocide” on social media. Similarly, the editor of Artforum was fired for publishing an open letter from artists calling for “an end to the killing and harming of all civilians”.
• Discrimination reports predominantly come from students who have limited experience and modest professional networks to fall back upon if they face backlash in their nascent careers. This has resulted in students limiting their public advocacy for fear they too could lose professional opportunities.
• Ivy League campuses have seen an increase in incidents of harassment and intimidation, including the use of mobile billboard trucks displaying the names and photos of pro-Palestinian students coupled with derogatory labels. This contributes to a climate of fear and paranoia among students.
• Lawyers express concerns that while federal law forbids employers from making discriminatory hiring decisions based on race, religion, national origin, etc., the concept of “at-will employment” leaves room for discrimination based on political views to occur. This leads to a daunting prospect where voicing opinions on the Israel-Hamas conflict could cost students future employment opportunities.

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