In March 2023, California Jewish Democrats stood with the people of Israel for their right to protest against anti-democratic proposals by Prime Minister Netanyahu which would undercut the rule of law and bypass judicial processes. Unfortunately, we are now facing the similar threats to rule of law and judicial independence here in the United States.

Just over a month into office there have been over fifty lawsuits against the Trump Administration for circumventing the law, from the  firings of tens of thousands of government employees and watchdogs, to the unconstitutional impoundment of government funds and the attempts at summary deportation of thousands of immigrants, including those here with legal documentation, without due process of law.

As Jewish Democrats we believe that the civil rights of Jewish students in educational settings must be protected to the same extent as those of any other students. Antisemitism in such settings must be addressed with the same degree of urgency as hate speech directed at any other minority population. Codes of conduct must be applied equally to all members of school and university communities, in a viewpoint-neutral fashion. In the past 17 months, in too many schools and on too many campuses, this has not been the case. 

At the same time, upholding those civil rights, combating antisemitism and ensuring that that material support of terrorism is not tolerated, must always take place within the rule of law including established protections for speech and due process under law. The First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment are not disposable, even if we find the person asserting those rights to have values that are abhorrent to us and to most Americans.

This is not about any one person or specific individual, but rather about ensuring the government follows its own laws. The Jewish community should not be the platform upon which our Constitution can be disregarded.