Catholic University of America – Rejection of Students Supporting Israel Event

Summary

On March 4, 2026, The Catholic University of America rejected multiple speaker requests submitted by its Students Supporting Israel chapter, a pro Israel international campus movement that supports the State of Israel, for proposed campus events addressing antisemitism and Israeli security policy. The university stated that the proposals did not meet its “balanced presentation” requirement, which required student events on contested political topics to include multiple viewpoints. The rejected programming included a proposed event featuring Dany Tirza, the chief architect of Israel’s West Bank security barrier, for a program focused on the project, and a separate event featuring United States Representative Randy Fine of Florida for a discussion described as focused on “ending antisemitism in America.” Fine has faced public criticism over past anti-Muslim remarks that drew condemnation from some members of Congress and advocacy organizations. The university indicated that while the subject matter was permissible, the proposed formats did not sufficiently incorporate differing perspectives.

Following the rejection, Students Supporting Israel at The Catholic University of America sought clarification on how the policy applied to its programming and whether revised submissions could be approved. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) raised concerns about the university’s application of its “balanced presentation” requirement to student sponsored events, arguing that conditioning approval on inclusion of opposing viewpoints in programming addressing antisemitism and related issues could restrict student speaker selection and questioning whether the requirement was being applied consistently across student organizations. In response, the university stated that its policy did not prohibit the topics at issue but permitted it to require that certain student events addressing contested issues include multiple perspectives, and it invited revised proposals consistent with that requirement.

Throughout the dispute, Students Supporting Israel continued to pursue approval for revised versions of its proposed events under the university’s stated requirements, while The Catholic University of America maintained that it was regulating the format of student events rather than prohibiting particular perspectives or subject matter.