Letter on Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA-44

On March 27th, 2024, Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order to “address acts
of antisemitism in institutions of higher learning.” More tangibly, the governor's order directs all
public institutions of higher education in Texas to review and update their policies on free speech
with regards to antisemitism, and to “discipline” pro-Palestine student organizations– those
specifically named are the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine.
Students at Trinity University are unequivocally opposed to antisemitism, which is
increasing at alarming rates. The rise of antisemitism in Texas can be traced to the many white
nationalist groups that have made Texas their “homebase”1 and any meaningful attempts to
combat this dangerous form of hate must focus on such groups. Governor Abbott’s order deflects
attention and resources from the root cause of this pernicious problem. As such, we are
concerned that Abbott’s executive order could actually sabotage attempts to combat antisemitism
while also undermining academic freedom and free speech.
Furthermore, this executive order dangerously conflates support for Palestinian rights and
legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Anti-semitism is hatred for and discrimination
against people who are Jewish. Israel is a state actor, not a religion, and criticism of state actors –
any state actors – is essential to a healthy democracy. Governor Abbott’s order thus constitutes a
profound threat to free speech and academic freedom. Additionally, the order falsely claims that
the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” is fundamentally antisemitic.
We were distressed to witness the failure of Texas colleges and universities to take swift
and effective action to protect their missions and defend their values from Abbott’s attacks on
departments of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Indeed, several institutions opted instead to shut
down these departments and, in some cases, even fire employees who were previously associated
with them. We need to strongly defend academic freedom on our campus, stand up for
pro-Palestine student organizations across the state, and protect every student's constitutional
right to freedom of speech – all of which are threatened by this new attack. We are asking for our
University President/University leadership to take a stand against this executive order by
reaffirming support for academic freedom, defending the legitimacy of student organizations in
support of Palestine, and, if needed, preparing a litigation team to defend the rights of their
students.

Support for Palestine must not be treated as an exception to Trinity University’s mission
to facilitate free and rigorous debate over important issues and ideas; instead, it is a proving
ground for our shared values.

We look forward to your response.

1
Shah, Areeba. 2023. “Expert: Texas Is ‘Homebase’ for White Nationalist and Neo-Nazi Groups, Further
Amplifying Extremism.” Salon. Salon.com. September 23, 2023.
https://www.salon.com/2023/09/23/how-texas-became-the-new-homebase-for-nationalist-and-neo-nazi-groups/.
Sincerely,

Trinity University Bee Club

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