LOS ANGELES (Press Release) — Disturbed by the rise of the “new anti-Semitism” directed at Israel and its supporters and Jewish students on UC campuses, StandWithUs joined eleven other organizations to deliver a letter on June 28 to UC Regents President Mark Yudof asking him to take firm action to protect Jewish students from bigotry and intolerance.
The letter asks President Yudof to adopt the US State Department definition of anti-Semitism, which includes demonization of Israel and its supporters, and to have UC chancellors publicly condemn its manifestations and impose penalties for those who indulge in it.
“We have worked closely with UC pro-Israel students for the past nine years to help them counter the systematic lies and vilification of Israel and often of Jews that occurs on too many UC campuses. Administrations tend to respond only weakly, claiming free speech protects this bigotry. Yet when offensive symbols or actions are used against other minority groups, such as the recent incident with a noose at UCSD, the UC Regents quickly and unequivocally denounced the offense and were extremely sensitive to the pain the targeted African-American group must have felt. Jewish students simply don’t get the same kind of sympathy or response. That has to change,” said Roz Rothstein, StandWithUs CEO.
The groups who signed the letter believe that the Regents and administrations’ current efforts to improve the campus environment fall short. They do not recognize the unique nature of anti-Semitism or the specific situations confronting Jewish students.
“It is a shame that we face anti-Semitism in this day and age, but it is there. If its presence and pernicious effects are swept under the rug, the problem will only get worse. Historically, we have seen how anti-Semitism at universities can ultimately lead to the destruction of our most cherished values,” said Rothstein.
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Preceding provided by StandWithUs