Enemization and Solidarity in Times of War: The Case of the Palestinian Citizens of Israel

Dr Totry-Jubran will present her article exploring how constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression are reshaped under conditions of emergency, focusing on the treatment of Palestinian citizens of Israel after October 7, 2023.

The article argues that in deeply divided societies, solidarity operates as a constitutional boundary-making device: state calls for national unity are legally enforced through practices that construct an internal enemy and narrow the scope of protected speech. Drawing on constitutional theory, emergency governance, and security-oriented criminal law, the article shows how expressions of grief, humanitarian concern, or solidarity with civilians in Gaza were reclassified as incitement or identification with terrorism. Through analysis of emergency directives, protest restrictions, and enforcement patterns, it demonstrates how constitutional rights were selectively suspended in practice, producing an ethnonationally stratified regime of free speech. The Israeli case reveals how constitutional law, under crisis conditions, becomes a tool for redefining political belonging and the limits of democratic citizenship.

Speaker: Dr Manal Totry-Jubran

Dr Manal Totry- Jubran is an associate professor at the Law faculty, Bar Ilan University. She is currently a visiting professor at the Global Centre of Democratic Constitutionalism at UCL, Law School. In 2024 and 2025 she was a visiting professor at the Luiss Law School, Rome. In 2023 and 2025 she was a visiting professor at the Bicocca Law School, Milano. She was a Post Doctorial Fellow at the Faculty of Law, the Hebrew University. She received her LL.M. (Magna cum Laude) and Ph.D. from the Faculty of Law, University of Tel- Aviv. She was awarded the “Cegla Prize” for Exceptional Legal Articles in Hebrew; the “Gorni Prize”, by the Israeli Association of Public Law young researchers for Excellent young researcher in public Law. She was selected by “Calcalist” newspaper and “Bank Hapoalim” as one of ten Young Promising Arab leaders in the Arab Society; she was awarded the Ma’of scholarship for outstanding Arab students, The Council for Higher Education in Israel.

Chair: Dr Neli Frost (commentator: Prof Tarun Khaitan)

This seminar will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. This event is not open to the public.