What is free speech?

Editorial

In the aftermath of her disastrous interview with a Vancouver blogger (see story, page 13), Libby Davies and her supporters seem to be cloaking themselves as the victims in a free speech case, which only goes to show how ignorant* the New Democratic party member of Parliament really is, and not just about Israel.

A similar scenario saw Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QAIA) participate in Toronto’s massive Pride parade in a triumphal march as free speech martyrs last month. This group of people, who choose anti-Zionist ideology over self-interest and the welfare of their gay and lesbian sisters and brothers in the Middle East, had originally been banned from the parade, under the city’s anti-discrimination policy. Claims of Zionists stifling free speech were among the reasons for reversing the ban and allowing the group into the event.

These are two quite distinct incidents, but what they share in common is a complete misunderstanding of the very concept of free speech. This is why it is difficult to stomach people like QAIA and Davies pretending to be martyrs for the cause: they do not even know what free speech is.

If we listen to the complaints about media bias, for instance, those who carp that the mainstream media is in the pocket of Zionists or big corporations or some other imaginary boogeyman ignore the plethora of media available. Never in human civilization has the average person had at their disposal more sources of information than we do today. The frenzied insistence that any one entity controls “the message” is just plain wrong.

Throughout the Davies debacle, the recent incident with Helen Thomas – the American journalist who said that Jews should go back “home” to Germany and Poland – and almost every time someone gets hoisted on the petard of their own ignorance or racism with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the cry emerges of a “silencing.” The Zionists are silencing any criticism of Israel, goes the familiar refrain. Zionists are trying to “shut down debate.” In a world where Israel receives criticism massively disproportionate to any standard or measure, the idea of a “chill” on critics of Israel is laughable.

Free speech means that people like Davies and Thomas are allowed to say stupid or bigoted things – and the rest of us are free to point out that such statements are stupid or bigoted, and even to be as stupid or bigoted in our reply. Free speech means that people are permitted to say pretty much anything – recognizing that Canada has hate-speech laws – and others are equally allowed to condone or condemn what is said. It’s a proverbial two-way street. However, Davies seems to think she should have the right to make her statements without taking responsibility for them, without being criticized or contradicted, and without being held to account for her breach of party policy.

Nobody is silencing or shutting down discussion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Critics of Israel are not being hauled before human rights tribunals. Heck, they rarely are even challenged until they cross a line of extremism that wakes a critical mass of decent people from the passivity with which the vast bulk of anti-Israel hatred is met.

Davies, QAIA and all the other anti-Zionists out there – you’re not victims, not even close. Though attempts may have been to curb your ignorance and hypocrisy, your speech remains as free as ever. As it does for the rest of us who are lucky enough to live in this part of the world. So, you shouldn’t expect to be met by silence. We’re allowed to counter any arguments you make – and we will.

(*We use the term ignorant not to mean a lack of intelligence, but rather a lack of knowledge and education in a particular subject; as being unaware or uninformed about something.)

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