Anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are conflated to protect Israel’s violation of international laws.

By Elijah J. Magnier –

Hundreds of foreign students in the US have had their visas revoked and been deported for political positions the government has labelled ‘anti-Semitic’ – when in fact their positions are anti-war and critical of Israel’s crimes in Palestine, condemned by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. More than 1.5 million international students could face similar deportation under a policy that makes their stay conditional: their right to free speech does not extend beyond academics. To defend the administration’s policy, US officials have argued that constitutional protections for free speech apply only to American citizens, not foreigners.

This position strikes at the heart of the American constitution and university tradition. Campuses have historically been bastions of political dissent and moral inquiry, especially in times of war and human rights abuses. The idea that foreign students can be silenced or expelled for expressing opposition to unlawful and criminal military actions or government policies – especially when that criticism is consistent with international law and human rights standards – raises serious questions about the integrity of U.S. democratic values and the manipulation of history.

Moreover, these foreign students are not just political voices – they are vital to the US economy and society. Representing about 6% of the total student population, international students contribute $43 billion annually and support hundreds of thousands of American jobs. Deporting them for peaceful political expression not only undermines academic freedom, but also threatens economic and intellectual capital. It seems that the US’s peculiar concept of ‘freedom’ is in need of a serious reassessment.

The Trump administration is weaponising federal funding to punish leading universities for allowing pro-Palestinian voices on campus – under the pretext of fighting anti-Semitism.