ADC: Harvard Dismissal Rejects Trump Administration’s Weaponization of Antisemitism to Attack Free Speech

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 13, 2026

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Washington, D.C. | Following today’s dismissal of the Trump administration’s Title VI lawsuit against Harvard University, ADC President and Legal Director, Jenin Younes, issued the following statement on the ruling and the broader weaponization of antisemitism to target pro-Palestine speech and attack constitutional rights:

“Today’s dismissal of the Trump administration’s frivolous Title VI lawsuit against Harvard affirms what ADC has maintained for years: criticism of Israel is not antisemitism, and advocacy for Palestinian rights is protected speech. What we are witnessing is bigger than a single university. Pro-Palestine speech has increasingly become a testing ground for government efforts to erode Americans’ constitutional rights to free speech and assembly. Once the government is permitted to redefine protected political expression as unlawful discrimination simply because it concerns Palestine or Israel, that abuse does not remain confined to one issue or one group. It creates a dangerous precedent that threatens everyone’s First Amendment rights.

The Trump administration has repeatedly weaponized allegations of antisemitism to justify investigations, punishment and government pressure aimed at protected political speech and advocacy, actions ADC has been fighting in courts across the country. We welcome the court’s dismissal and will continue working to ensure that advocacy for Palestinian rights remains protected, and that civil rights law is never turned into a weapon for suppressing the constitutional freedoms it is meant to protect.”

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About ADC

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the United States, founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk.  ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, ADC fights discrimination, enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice.