So, imagine my reaction when I came across an article in The Intercept spotlighting repercussions faced by individuals expressing pro-Palestinian views on various college campuses and elsewhere. In fact, we have covered this issue here at RedState, highlighting how cancel culture is now being used against those who tend to cherish it the most.

The article, written by author Murtaza Hussain, focused on the recent resolution that was passed in the Senate and college students belonging to groups called Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, which staged protests on campuses across the country.

As the conflict intensifies, disputes are spilling over from campuses and government into many workplaces as well. Recent weeks have seen pressure by government officials against student activist groups, the creation of public blacklists in multiple industries, and a wave of politically motivated firings over people’s publicly stated views on the conflict.

“We are seeing people being fired from their jobs, being investigated by HR over their social media posts or conversations with colleagues, and having job offers rescinded. There is a clear trend that people’s jobs are being targeted right now,” said Dima Khalidi, the founder and director of Palestine Legal, an advocacy organization that seeks to preserve the civil rights of supporters of Palestinian rights in the United States.

Khalidi told the news outlet that there has been “an exponential increase in the need for legal support” for those who have lost jobs or faced other consequences for speaking out in favor of the Palestinians and also Hamas. She explained that this trend “is a direct result right now of the kind of incitement that our own elected officials are engaging in.” Her organization noted that they handled about 300 requests for legal aid in two weeks, a figure that typically represents a full year’s workload.

Of course, Khalidi was referring to Republican politicians like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when referring to “elected officials” engaged in “incitement.” The governor recently issued an order disbanding chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on Florida’s college campuses, a controversial move.

But this debate isn’t limited only to academic institutions. The report provided examples across a variety of sectors, including media, technology, arts, and even aviation, in which people were penalized for expressing opinions favorable toward the Palestinians and, for some, Hamas.

Michael Eisen, editor-in-chief of eLife, resigned for sharing a satirical article poking fun at the reality that Americans don’t care about the lives of Palestinian civilians. In another instance, the head of the Web Summit was forced to resign after writing a post accusing Israel of war crimes.

The Middle East debate has brought about some serious negative consequences for those voicing their opinions on the matter. Up until this point, it was primarily those expressing pro-Israel views who were punished for their beliefs. But now, the consequences are coming for those arguing against Israel, and even government officials are wading into the fray.

DeSantis deactivated SJP because of its alleged “material support” for Hamas, which is rightly designated as a foreign terrorist group. The governor’s order is based on allegations that members of SJP chapters endorsed Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack on Israel in which terrorists killed over 1,000 Israelis.

“Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated,” state university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote in a letter on Tuesday. “It is a felony under Florida law to ‘knowingly provide material support . . . to a designated foreign terrorist organization,’” the official added.

Rodrigues pointed to a “toolkit” released by the national SJP body praising the Hamas atrocities, known by the codename Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, and demanding student members play a part in the global “resistance” movement. The document contained cartoon graphics showing Hamas paragliders for American chapters to use and applauded Hamas’ invasion of Israel.

So, what do we make of this?

Should people lose their jobs or other opportunities because they are critical of Israel? Should politicians be in the business of shutting down college student groups for expressing support for Palestinians or Hamas?

It’s a tough call, for sure. Those who value free speech would argue that people should be allowed to say what they want without government interference or other types of punishment. Others would point out that members of SJP can still spew their pro-Hamas claptrap outside of the group. DeSantis isn’t trying to lock them up for speaking their minds.

Others would also point to the concept of freedom of association as well. As I wrote previously, if an employee espouses viewpoints that do not align with the values of the company for which they work, should the organization be pressured into keeping them on the payroll?

Another troubling aspect of this situation is that when it comes to free speech and other natural rights that should be protected, it is becoming easier to infringe on these rights. The Intercept is a left-leaning outlet, which would explain why it published this article. In fact, in the past, it has put out other pieces dealing with the same subject matter. But would they have done the same if it were pro-Israel students being punished for expressing their views?

The problem is that when Americans only care about free speech when someone they like is being silenced, then it will eventually become easier for people to use the state to silence dissenting voices. It seems America has lost the sense that fighting for speech you detest also protects your ability to speak your mind. If people’s speech is being suppressed, those who value liberty should be fighting against it, regardless of whether they agree with their opinions. Otherwise, we might see a country in which none of us can speak our minds.