Nathan Thrall, a Jewish author who lives in Israel, opposes the Gaza war and supports the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) movement against the Israeli government, was blocked from giving a speech at the University of Arkansas due to a state law that prohibits public agencies, including universities, from doing business with organizations or people who boycott the country.
Thrall, whose views have been described as "factually unsound and deeply offensive" by the Anti-Defamation League while, at the same time being praised by the Financial Times for writing a book that it said was one of the best at explaining the Palestine-Israel conflict, was told he could speak at the school only if he signed a pledge not to boycott Israel. He refused.
In a tweet earlier this week, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised the University of Arkansas for enforcing the state's policy against Thrall.
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"On campuses across America, pro-Hamas protestors are harassing Jews, praising terrorism, and calling for the destruction of Israel. That is unacceptable and won’t happen in Arkansas," Sanders wrote as she retweeted a complaint from Thrall about the ban. She thanked the school for "standing up to the anti-Israel BDS movement."
But according to Arkansas Times Editor Austin Bailey, Sanders is using the situation to distract from her own political troubles.
"Bowing up on Thrall is the latest in the governor’s continued flailing effort to distract from accusations of misspending and an ensuing coverup related to podiumgate," Bailey writes, referring to her purchase of a "fantastically overpriced" lectern and attempts to avoid showing where the money for it came from.
"Instead of clearing the air over all the questionable paperwork, the governor has focused her attention on drawing a bead on Chinese farmers, women, journalists and now a Jewish thought leader. Meanwhile, a poll released Monday found she has the lowest approval rating of any governor since 2003."