‘Unprecedented’ antisemitism panel tackles surging national issue
In an unprecedented move, federal judges are set to address rising antisemitism at the upcoming National Lawyers Convention, organized by the Federalist Society. U.S. District Judge Roy Altman, who will moderate the panel, emphasized the timeliness of this discussion in light of escalating antisemitic sentiments following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. This multi-judge forum marks a departure from the convention’s traditional format of solo presentations, reflecting the urgent need for dialogue on faith, moral responsibility, and the preservation of Western values. Altman, a vocal advocate for Jewish rights, noted that the judiciary has a critical role in clarifying legal questions surrounding the ongoing conflict, particularly those raised by protests on U.S. college campuses that often portray Israel as an aggressor.
The panel will feature an array of judges, including seven appointed by former President Trump and one by George Bush, who will share their insights on antisemitism and First Amendment rights. Altman highlighted the legal complexities surrounding claims about Israel’s military actions and the broader implications of free speech, especially in the context of anti-Israel protests. Recent incidents, such as New York University’s cancellation of a talk by Jewish scholar Ilya Shapiro due to security concerns from protesters, illustrate the challenges faced by pro-Israel voices on campuses. Altman expressed concern over the one-sided narratives dominating discussions about Israel, stressing the judiciary’s responsibility to engage in these vital conversations and provide a balanced perspective based on legal principles.
As the panel prepares to tackle these pressing issues, it aims to foster understanding and promote open dialogue among diverse faiths. The judges will draw from their personal experiences and legal expertise to address the complexities of antisemitism and free speech, reinforcing the importance of moral clarity in today’s polarized environment. Altman’s commitment to facilitating trips to Israel for federal judges underscores the necessity of firsthand experiences in shaping informed opinions and legal interpretations regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This timely discussion promises to shed light on the intricate relationship between law, faith, and societal values, offering a platform for nuanced conversations about the future of civil discourse in America.
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EXCLUSIVE:
Federal judges will tackle antisemitism at an annual convention next week, joining a rare
multi-judge panel
in a forum typically reserved for one-person lectures, Fox News Digital has learned.
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman, who will moderate the discussion, said the panel is “unprecedented” and a needed change to address what he said was a rise in antisemitism in the aftermath of Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel in 2023. The panel is part of the Federalist Society’s annual National Lawyers Convention.
“This conversation on faith, understanding, and moral responsibility could not be more timely,” Altman said. “It reflects the importance of the moment, the endurance of Western values, and Judge [Robert] Bork’s abiding belief in moral clarity and in the strength that comes from open dialogue.”
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The event has for years been named after the late Bork, who, incidentally, once helped break a law firm’s avoidance of hiring Jewish lawyers, according to
Senate testimony
by his peers in 1987.
The judges who will participate in the discussion include seven Trump appointees, including Altman, one appointee of former President George Bush, and a justice of the Texas Supreme Court.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Altman, a vocal Jewish judge who is based in the Southern District of Florida, said he has also arranged numerous trips for federal judges of varying faiths to visit Israel after the Oct. 7 attack.
He said that although his personal conversations about
Israel
had largely been centered on campuses, “it became clear” to him that the judiciary needed to chime in because heated discourse surrounding the topic involved legal questions.
The deadly attack in Israel reignited conflict in Gaza and led to nationwide anti-Israel protests, especially on U.S. college campuses. Protesters claimed Israel was killing thousands of innocent Palestinians in Gaza indiscriminately, while the Israeli government said it gave fair warning about its offensive and that its targets were Hamas terrorists.
“Those claims, is Israel violating the laws of war? Is it an apartheid state? Does it occupy land that doesn’t belong to it?” Altman said. “Those are just legal questions with legal answers, and I thought, who better than federal judges to understand what the applicable legal rule is, to adduce and find out what the relevant facts are, and then to apply the facts to the law and issue a judgment, than a federal judge.”
Some of the judges who will participate on the panel have been on Altman’s Israel trips.
The Federalist Society indicated that the judges plan to speak about their personal experiences talking with people of other faiths about anti-Jewish sentiments. They also plan to address First Amendment concerns surrounding antisemitism.
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The discussion comes as the
Trump administration
has aggressively targeted noncitizens for speech that it has claimed in court is at odds with its national security posture because it is too critical of Israel and potentially supportive of Hamas.
Free speech proponents
have warned that offensive and politically charged speech is protected under the Constitution. In the case of Mahmoud Khalil, which has become a flashpoint in these discussions, the courts have been examining the extent to which noncitizens enjoy First Amendment protections.
Altman said he has observed a one-sidedness in the opposite direction on campuses and that pro-Israel expression has been suppressed. Just this year, New York University canceled Jewish legal scholar Ilya Shaprio’s talk there because of what it said were security risks from protesters.
“I was shocked, honestly, to discover that so many young people in our country, especially on our college campuses, had a totally incorrect view about the one Jewish state in the world and its role in the Middle East and its history and how it came to be, and it also became clear that the sort of debate that was taking place on campus wasn’t really a debate, because only one side of the story was being told,” Altman said.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
