Freedom of speech is a prerequisite to all political rights in a democracy. Without it, “we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter,” as George Washington once said. The terrorist attacks on the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris on Jan. 5 sparked countless statements in defense of freedom of speech, no matter how controversial or offensive the content of the speech. 

Here in the United States, we are fortunate that our Founding Fathers’ first amendment to the Constitution was to protect speech from the government. In America, no opinion is ever illegal. Our Constitution creates a leveled marketplace of ideas, where all speech can compete without government interference. 

However, keeping the government out of the business of  regulating speech does not guarantee that speech is free. Over the past few years, many great Americans have been made to pay dearly for words they said. Making the wrong statement could cost people their jobs, reputation and presence in the public sphere. 

Slamming Israel is one particular area where free speech is not so free. 

When it comes to that country, there is no fair marketplace of ideas. The pro-apartheid camp can get away with saying the most despicable, racist and hateful remarks about Palestinians. In contrast, those— especially in the media— who support Palestinians’ rights to freedom and self-determination too often get fired, discredited and/or vilified for their opinions on the conflict. 

The latest victim of the unspoken rule that shields Israel from criticism was Jim Clancy, the veteran CNN anchor who “stepped down” after calling out the Israeli propaganda machine on Twitter.

“Criticize Zionism in the United States and see how far ‘free speech’ gets you,” tweeted Palestinian American academic Steven Salaita on Jan. 9. 

Salaita knows better than anybody the limits of free speech in this country when it comes to Israel. Last summer, the acclaimed author was fired by the University of Illinois before he even started his job because of his opinions on the then-ongoing Israeli war on Gaza. 

However, Salaita and Clancy are the tip of the iceberg in a long list of professionals who were thrown under the proverbial bus for speaking out against Israel. Octavia Nasser, the former senior editor of Mideast Affairs at CNN, was dismissed by the network after pressure from pro-Israeli groups for expressing her respect for moderate Muslim scholar Mohamad Hussein Fadlallah. The late Fadlallah was revered across the Muslim world for his views on gender equality and promotion of humanist ideals. But he was branded a “terrorist” by Israel for supporting resistance to Israeli aggression. 

Helen Thomas was a legendary journalist. The Wayne State University alum covered every president from Kennedy to Obama. In her early career, she rose to prominence and success in a world of journalism dominated by men and became a symbol for the empowerment of women. After making “controversial” statements about Israel, she was pushed into early retirement. She then voiced her opinions about the power of the Zionist lobby and the response was to completely disregard her legacy by distorting her comments and dubbing them as anti-Semitic. 

Even the legendary journalist’s alma mater tried to wipe away her contributions and removed her name from what had been the Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity Award. When she passed away in August of 2013, many fellow journalists she considered friends did not show up to her funeral. 

There is a culture of fear when it comes to criticizing Israel. At The Arab American News, we have experienced this sentiment first-hand. Many people do not want their names mentioned in any stories that calls out the Israeli occupation for its abuses out of fear of losing their jobs. 

Negative remarks about Israel are always “controversial.” But the floods of hate against Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians have rarely cost anybody his or her job. 

“Dealing w/ Hamas is like dealing w/ a crazy woman who’s trying to kill u – u can only hold her wrists so long before you have to slap her,” tweeted Bill Maher on July 17. 

Replace “Hamas” with “Israel” and envision the person who made such a statement keeping his TV show and being invited as an honorary speaker at universities. 

That’s like trying to imagine the United States sending billions of dollars in military aid to the Palestinians each year.