The Campus Speech Dilemma

Featuring Michael J. Feuer, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University.

What happens when campus protest slogans cross into hate speech? Where is the boundary between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitism? And what role should educators play when misinformation and historical distortion fuel dangerous rhetoric?

In this episode, Michael J. Feuer tackles the core tensions surrounding free speech, antisemitism, and higher education in the wake of October 7. Drawing from his extensive experience in education policy and moral philosophy, he explores the practical challenges university leaders face when antisemitic expressions emerge under the guise of pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Feuer unpacks the utility and limits of formal definitions like the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and offers a nuanced framework grounded in Natan Sharansky’s “Three Ds” — demonization, delegitimization, and double standards. He also reflects on recent events at GW and other campuses, emphasizing the educator’s responsibility to confront harmful narratives with evidence, integrity, and intellectual rigor.

This episode offers clarity in a moment of confusion and challenges educators and students to rethink the responsibilities of freedom of expression.

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