The reason for this is that, for example, saying that Palestine should rule the area instead of Israel is now federally recognized as calling for genocide. Which is a pants-on-head situation that I'm sure these university heads are aware of. When politicians are defining 'genocide' as 'critizing a government', then whether or not 'genocide' breaks somebody's rules is much harder to say.
If course, the Republican asking them knew all of that, and was doing this so they could get a soundbite for the news. So good job falling for the propaganda.