Republicans launch attack on First Amendment…

The right is struggling with a censorship issue that’s escalating. Conservatives are increasingly focused on silencing those who critique Israel and Jewish folks... “Hate speech,” like it or not, falls under the protection of the First Amendment. If the right fails to uphold this, how on earth can we credibly criticize the left for their draconian censorship tactics?

The Hill:

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) held up his new bill as a possible solution to antisemitism on college campuses, saying the debates in colleges and universities across the country are “not a free speech issue.”

Lawler, alongside Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Max Miller (R-Ohio) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act in late October, which they hope will enable universities and law enforcement to go after antisemitic speech, which he described as hate speech.

Let’s face it, many Republicans have stumbled into the left’s “hate speech” trap. They may not see it, but they’re effectively stifling free speech. As we’ve seen from Supreme Court rulings, “hate speech” isn’t a legally recognized category. The article from The Hill goes on:

“We have seen a rapid rise in antisemitism on these college campuses, and we need to crack down on it,” Lawker said in a CNN interview Friday. “This is not a free speech issue. This is hate speech.”

The bill would force the Education Department to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism for use in enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.

The IHRA definition, which is not currently universally accepted, includes anti-Zionism, a belief against the state of Israel, as a factor...