A LANDMARK legal ruling is as rare as Halley's Comet. But there was one on Monday in the United Kingdom.
In a wrongful dismissal case brought by academic David Miller, who was dismissed by the University of Bristol in 2021 for expressing anti-Zionist views, the employment tribunal there ruled for the first time ever that such beliefs are protected in the workplace under the Equality Act 2010.
More importantly, the ruling gives legal support to the view that anti-Zionism isn't the same as anti-semitism, a term which is often conflated with any criticism of things Israel.
As Miller's lawyer, Zillur Rahman told the English daily, the case "marks a pivotal moment in the history of our country for those who believe in upholding the rights of Palestinians".
He is right. The ruling is welcome news to the many around the world who are either anti-Israel or pro-Palestine.
According to The Guardian, Miller, a sociology professor, came under scrutiny of his employer in 2019 when in his lecture he cited Zionism as one of the five sources of Islamophobia, and linked Jewish charities to Zionist lobbying.
The timing of the ruling is a welcome development in a world where people are being dismissed or "demoted" for being anti-Zionist or pro-Palestinian.
Arguably the most famous of this was the removal of Mehdi Hasan's Sunday night panel show by MSNBC when he took an Israeli presidential spokesman to task on Tel Aviv's actions in Gaza.
The British-born Hasan, who is known for his takedowns of the powerful, has since resigned from the cable news channel.
The moral of the MSNBC story is this: never challenge your guests. To the mainstream media there, tame is never lame.
There have been plenty of such dismissals and demotions across the globe. Politicians aren't spared either. One United States congressman unbelievably asked the House to send Ilhan Omar, a Democrat congresswoman, back to where she came from for criticising Israel.
In February last year, the Congress ousted her from its Foreign Affairs Committee for the same reason.
Another Democrat representative, Rashida Tlaib, came under similar censure in November. It must be really hard to criticise Israel in the US, even if you are a Jew.
Oct 7 is an often quoted date, but never for the change it has brought for the Palestinian cause. Well, this ruling by the English tribunal is another Oct 7 change-causing event.
Like the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, the Miller case began in October.
Unlike Israel's Gaza "war", which like the Ukraine invasion seems to have no end in sight, the Bristol hearing has ended with a positive impact beyond law.
Politics almost always changes laws, but this time, at least in the UK, the law is set to change politics. And, with hope, beyond.
The world badly needs a Miller effect. What exactly is this "Miller effect"? It is permitting people to speak out against those who commit atrocities, such as genocide and war crimes against another, and not persecuting them.
The Millers, Hasans, Omars and Tlaibs of the world want to put an end to genocide. They should not be persecuted as they are.
Let's not forget the International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel is likely committing genocide in Gaza.