The case received wide attention on many college campuses because it raises the issue of suppression of academic freedom regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . The Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette pointed out that the situation was unique because so few " prospective employees ... would engage in the kind of self-destructive behavior that Salaita did between job offer and contract approval " . In response to the university 's actions , a group of over 40 Jewish faculty and students at the university signed a letter to Chancellor Wise and the board , protesting what they consider an unjustified conflation of " criticism of the Israeli state with anti-Semitism . " An outcry ensued , both at the university itself and in other academic institutions . Five departments voted " no confidence " in Chancellor Wise , several academic organizations condemned the university 's actions , and some scholars cancelled lectures scheduled at the university . On its website the American Indian studies program shared its statement of no-confidence , " With this vote of no confidence , the faculty of UIUC 's American Indian studies program also joins the thousands of scholars and organizations in the United States and across the world in seeing the chancellor 's action as a violation of academic freedom and freedom of speech . " Cary Nelson defended the decision on the basis that Salaita had not yet become a faculty member at the time that his offer was withdrawn , but the American Association of University Professors ( AAUP ) released a publication which stated that " Professor Salaita 's appointment should have entitled him to the due process rights of a tenured faculty member " and that the university " violated the AAUP/AAC & U 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure " . The Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure at UIUC stated that " The process by which Dr. Salaita 's proposed appointment was withdrawn and eventually rejected did not follow existing policies and procedures in several substantial respects ... The reasons given -- the civility of tweets made by Dr. Salaita in the summer of 2014 -- is not consistent with the university 's guarantee of freedom of political speech ... however , ... the Chancellor has raised legitimate questions about Dr. Salaita 's professional fitness that must be addressed . " It recommended that Salaita 's candidacy " be remanded to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for reconsideration by a committee of qualified academic experts . " Salaita has received support for his cause from the Modern Language Association , the AAUP and the Middle East Studies Association . However , Cary Nelson , the President of the AAUP from 2006 to 2012 , lamented that it has become difficult to find an academic arena " grounded in an empathy for both Palestinians and Israelis " . Glenn Greenwald , a journalist and constitutional lawyer , used the Salaita case as an example to show that Muslims and pro-Palestinian activists bear the brunt of free speech violations in the West since the Charlie Hebdo shooting . In another article he described Salaita 's firing as " likely illegal "
Charlie Hebdo shooting
Charlie Hebdo shooting
Steven Salaita controversy