Poll: Jews divided over role of police, censorship to address campus protests
A Forward-CHIP50 poll found that many American Jews are open to using police and speech prohibitions to deal with concerns over campus antisemitism, but they differ on the details
Police are posted near the house of George Washington University President Ellen Granberg in May as pro-Palestinian protesters rally in the street after a march. Photo by Getty Images
By Arno Rosenfeld October 17, 2024
American Jews are open to censoring political speech on campus and arresting college students demonstrating against Israel, but are divided over when these measures should be used.
Nearly 60% of Jews in the United States support using law enforcement to control campus protests about Israel, according to a new Forward-CHIP50 poll, while 44% endorsed banning at least some forms of speech at such demonstrations.
The Forward-CHIP50 poll is the first to gauge Jewish public opinion on these tactics since college and university administrators across the country announced a series of changes this fall meant to address antisemitism, including limited bans on how students can talk about Zionism and Zionists. It comes after a tumultuous year of division over Israel on campus that culminated in tent encampments protesting the war in Gaza this spring in which some 3,100 students and other activists across the country were arrested.
The poll also found that Jews remain highly concerned about antisemitism following a tumultuous year where antisemitic incidents and hostility toward Israel increased throughout society. They are also more worried about Islamophobia and racism than other Americans.
The poll was conducted for the Forward with support from the Knight Election Hub by the Civic Health and Information Project, a consortium of university scholars. More than 900 Jews ages 18 and older were surveyed online from Aug. 30 to Oct. 8, as part of a broader poll of 27,000 people; the Jewish portion has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3%. (Detailed survey methodology is available on the CHIP50 website.)
The poll found 31% of Jews support “prohibiting certain political speech” on campus, while 47% were opposed. When asked follow-up questions, respondents were evenly divided on a ban against speech that opposes Israel’s existence as Jewish state, with 40% in favor and 40% opposed. Separately, 44% supported banning statements of support for Hamas, the Palestinian group that led the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel; 36% said pro-Hamas speech should be allowed.
While no major Jewish organizations have called for outright prohibitions on speech related to Israel, Hillel International has encouraged university administrators to impose restrictions on certain “speech activity,” and Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, has suggested he might support limitations on anti-Zionist speech.
New York University made waves in August when it updated its student conduct rules to state that discriminatory speech “directed toward Zionists” could violate school rules. “This is not the ‘weaponization’ of a word,” spokesperson John Beckman said in response to controversy over the announcement. “Nor are we seeking to ‘stifle’ speech.”
More common have been new policies restricting where and when demonstrations can take place on campus, or banning tents, and an increasing willingness to use the police to arrest students who violate those rules.
Brandeis University was the first to arrest students engaging in a prohibited demonstration against Israel in November of last year, but police activity significantly increased after protesters began setting up tent encampments in the spring.
Columbia University enlisted the New York Police Department to sweep the lawns where its students were camped out multiple times. Greenblatt and other Jewish leaders have encouraged the use of police and the National Guard to enforce order on campuses with major demonstrations.
A majority of Jews — 58% — said they “strongly” or “somewhat” support using law enforcement to police campus demonstrations, and nearly 80% said that students should be arrested for committing property damage, like breaking into a campus building, as happened during one of last spring’s demonstrations at Columbia. Dozens of people were arrested in that case.
But most of the campus arrests last spring were for nonviolent offenses like trespassing. The poll found that Jews are more skeptical about these actions: 45% said they support arresting students who refused an order to stop a peaceful demonstration, like occupying a public lawn, 35% were opposed, and the rest were unsure.
Hillel released a guide for university leaders this summer, with support from Jewish groups including Alpha Epsilon Phi and the Conservative movement, that calls for campus law enforcement to “address” conduct that violates school policy on protests. It also suggests that school administrators work with law enforcement agencies in the towns or cities where they are located.
There were some significant partisan differences when it came to policing student protests. Among those who plan to vote for former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, 73% support using police on campus, compared to 52% of the Jewish supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent. And 60% of these Trump supporters said the police should be used to arrest peaceful demonstrators, compared to 40% of those backing Harris.
More broadly, American Jews remain concerned about antisemitism — 56% said it was a very serious problem — and 91% said it was important for elected officials to address.
They were also likely to view Islamophobia as a major problem, with 79% saying that it is somewhat or very important for government leaders to deal with. And 63% of Jews said that the issue of race relations and racism was a significant factor for them in the upcoming presidential election, about 10 percentage points higher than other Americans.
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