Selective Free Speech? UF Hosts Israeli Soldier After Canceling Palestinian Symposium

The University of Florida’s recent handling of campus events has sparked criticism from students, faculty and community alike. Last Friday, the university canceled and withdrew nearly $5,000 in funding from a Palestine symposium on campus, barring Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqdad—who survived and documented Israeli attacks on Gaza—from sharing her story. Yet, shortly after, UF allowed Adiel Cohen, an Israeli activist and current military reservist, to speak at the Reitz Union.

In response to Cohen’s appearance, at least 21 concerned individuals joined the UF Divest Coalition (UFDC) in a silent walkout, condemning the university’s decision to host Cohen while blocking pro-Palestinian voices.

UFDC labeled Cohen a “war criminal” due to his military service in the occupied West Bank. Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal. 

UFDC’s post about the event criticized Cohen’s messaging, which they argue fosters hate speech and promotes violence by defending Israel's killing of civilians in Gaza. Cohen frequently posts images of himself on tanks in the West Bank and Gaza envelope, consisting of cities that many Palestinians in Gaza were ethnically cleansed from in 1948.  

Cohen also mocked Palestinian casualties, like Israeli attacks on Rafah, and alluded to the need to reclaim “Judea and Samaria” from “Islamic extremists,” referring to the Palestinians who live there. The term “Judea and Samaria” refers to the West Bank and is often invoked to deny Palestinian statehood and indigeneity. On social media, Cohen referred to other ethnic groups, Malaysians and Indonesians, as “scums of the earth."

In addition to accusations of hate speech, Cohen uses his platform to spread misinformation, including now-debunked claims about Hamas actions. Notably, he peddles information about sexual violence and beheaded babies but has ignored reports of human rights abuses involving Israeli soldiers, such as allegations of sexual violence against Palestinians held in detention, which was documented by surveillance footage at Sde Teiman camp, among others. His selective narrative also overlooks Israel’s history of bombings, abductions, and illegal settlement building in Palestinian territories, claiming that Hamas and Hezbollah started the war in October.

While UF habitually enables Israeli soldiers like Cohen to speak on campus, the administration’s recent responses to pro-Palestinian events, including arrests, trespassing charges, and restrictions without clear justification, have fueled allegations of bias. 

The university claimed the symposium was canceled because it violated “the University’s use of space policy.” However, in a separate phone call, the university expressed concerns that the event was controversial due to an unbalanced panel of speakers.

That same policy states that UF is “committed to promoting the free exchange of ideas on its campus while ensuring the safety of its students.” We asked the university how allowing the promotion of violence against Palestinians and violations of international law aligns with these ideals, while an approved panel of renowned educators and journalists, both Jewish and Palestinian, does not. The administration has yet to respond.

GnvInfo also retrieved a letter sent from the Advisory Board of the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere (CHPS), praising event organizers for their level of consideration toward “historical understanding, dialogue, and critical thinking,” as well as their “efforts to assemble a balanced panel of participants.” The board asked that organizers feature the CHPS logo on all promotional materials, contradicting later claims that the symposium was “wrongly marketed” as a university event.

UFDC's post underscores that this is not the first time UF has attempted to silence Palestinians while enabling "war criminals" to speak on campus. GnvInfo found several similar events hosted by student organizations and the Bud Shorstein Center for Jewish Studies.

In September, UF Chabad and the Bud Shorstein Center cohosted a roundtable, not unlike the symposium, featuring prominent pro-Zionst speakers discussing "The Genocide Libel" and "The War's Effect on Israeli Society & Culture." The speakers did not "balance" the Palestinian viewpoint, yet they were permitted.

In just a few days, these organizations, along with others, are welcoming Israeli celebrity and "IDF Hero." The flyer for the event features warplanes and a map of the entire territory beneath the Star of David, effectively erasing the West Bank and Gaza. The event has not yet been canceled.