“Prof. Shavit: Would you support stronger restrictions on social media? The United States has a unique problem. It’s called the First Amendment
Israel’s coming for Free Speech in the US and I’m afraid the effort has some momentum. They are absolutely obsessed with it.
I post it whenever I see it but I think the issue is way overdue for more publicity and activism, and much more prominent news coverage — where are the newspapers??
The protections for social media in Section 230 are one focus and this is already getting tossed around by politicians.
If you oppose new, probably criminal, limits, on speech you’ll be labeled antisemitic, and beneath debate. You’ll be the underdog going into the battle, which has already started.
They will try to pull off changes without the opposition having a seat at the table and a say in the debate, using the accusation of antisemitism to foreclose on them.
It’s preposterous considering the First Amendment contains our most precious rights and Israel is way overdue for an analyst's couch for thinking it is OK to meddle nonstop in the affairs of other countries, never mind undermine them from their very foundations. But here we are, yet again.
You wouldn’t attack speech rights unless you wanted to undermine the country on the deepest level and didn’t mind making enemies who will never forget.
The Israelis involved all probably know these efforts will create tons more antisemitism, not dissipate it. They don’t seem to care because it would give them control, a forceful, legal grip on our throats. They will opt for control rather than a less prejudiced society
Social media is less conducive to top down control. It’s a place to find opinions in the wild. They are demanding control
So, Israel probably believes it has standing and a legitimate interest in the internal affairs of every country on earth because any country can potentially become a source of dangerous antisemitic pogroms. This multiplies the problem.
The headline is from an annual report on antisemitism published by the university in Tel Aviv
Here is the full excerpt and the link :
>Prof. Shavit: Would you support stronger restrictions on social media? The United States has a unique problem. It’s called the First Amendment. America has become a safe haven for racists, the worst of the worst. And I don’t think that was the intention of the Framers of the Constitution.
>Prof. Browning: Yes, I mean, everybody has the right to speak, except for the limits of inciting actual violence or yelling fire in a crowded theater, or defamation. The problem is with media that are classified legally as a neutral platform, a bulletin board on which people pin up their various views. Which that media are not. I mean, newspapers don’t enjoy that privilege [to be considered a neutral platform with no responsibility for content]. Newspapers are responsible and could be sued for libel when they publish, you know, false things.
>And so, my feeling is that American law has to be changed in a way that social media have to exercise some self-policing or become liable for defamation or liable for damages when they harm people. That doesn’t curb freedom of speech. We have those restrictions on speech already.
>https://cst.tau.ac.il/interview-ordinary-men-and-worse/
Neither of them are correct. Shavit a prof.from Tel Aviv U, thinks he’s a Constitutional law expert when he doesn’t even know what antisemitism is. ( notice too he is oblivious to bigotry in Israel)
And Browning is wrong that you could possibly run large forums like reddit, facebook, X, bluesky, etc, if you faced liability for libel like a newspaper. That’s why we created Section 230. These forums create their own community rules which is nice. But what he is proposing would shut them down. He’s no expert in this area either
Israelis have been asking social media for new, voluntary community policies but the rules are such an offense to everyone's values, and so incompatible, everyone turns them down. They got nowhere, so, they will try to railroad us with new unconstitutional laws.
The First Amendment is not a problem, it’s an exceptional delineation of rights. It has no parallel in any nation. Israel has convinced itself it can drill down and make unreasonable demands on other countries to stop the very thing it will exacerbate by so doing and has been exacerbating
There is antisemitism out there but all these measures make it worse and they are harming the United States. We have to prevent that.
All eyes should be on winning peace and justice for everyone in the Mideast, including Israelis. This is an outrageous war that was unnecessary