Union College is discussing expelling a student for stating that anyone who attended a fundraiser for Israel should “burn in hell”. There are multiple layers to this issue.
First of all, there is video showing her discussing and admitting her comment to a professor in front of her class, so there is no room for back-pedaling the comment. There was a boldness to her admission that leaves little room for the often seem apology after the fact. Let’s accept that she said what she said, and stands by it.
Second, the First Amendment does not cover hate speech. Would we consider tell someone to go to hell hate speech in and of itself? Not necessarily, but the population she said it to brings it under enhanced scrutiny. She is denouncing supporters of Israel specifically. Does that make her comments inherently antisemitic? The world is fairly split on that issue.
What is clear is that denouncing supporters of a Jewish state, in the current climate of rising antisemitism, is not a good look, and the college is well within their rights to protect their image but stomping out comments and behavior that skirts so close to hate speech. Freedom of speech does not equal lack of consequences for same.