UC-Irvine Hillel Blog Article

"One person's hate speech is another person's education." 


Today I visited the website of the UC-Irvine Hillel blog and found a posting I thought was worth cross-posting. I am not sure who wrote it, but it refers to the November 4 event in which UC President Mark Yudof met with Jewish students then addressed a public audience at Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach. Here is the posting in question.

Jewish Students Meet With Mark Yudof


"On November 4, 2010, Jewish students and community members were given the opportunity to meet with UC President, Mark Yudof to discuss the campus climate, share differing viewpoints, and partake in a question and answer portion. In regard to the anti-Semitic events that have often occurred on the UC Irvine campus, Yudof states that there is nothing that can be done permanently. Even after the Muslim group was put on probation, a new group (likely with the same ideals) quickly resurfaced. “Our institutional responses must follow the law,” he said. “There are time, place and manner restrictions, but to the extent that it’s just vitriolic, we cannot shut it down.” It is critical to understand the predicament of the UC President—both as a Jew and an authority figure representing some of the greatest universities in the United States. While he may find some of the anti-Semitic speeches to be absolutely abhorrent, he is restricted in taking any extreme course of action due to strict university codes of conduct and even federal law. Furthermore, we must remember that unfortunately, UCI is not the only university exposed to such hate speech; anti-Israel sentiment has most recently become a trend all across campuses in the U.S.

This being said, after sitting in on the student conference with the President and later seeing the community members’ response to Mark Yudof’s speech, it was very interesting to compare the two different audiences. The students did have some serious concerns, some of whom have even been personally exposed to the tensions on campus or victimized in certain ways. It was important to explain these situations to the President so he could get a better grasp of what exactly the students must deal with on separate occasions. However, there was also a strong sense of a yearning towards change. For instance, it does not benefit the existing Jewish community of students to see so much negative press in the media; this will not draw in more Jewish students (which could ultimately solve the problem) and in the long run, it rewards the opposing side. One student presented her case in which she stated that a friend of hers was debating a major decision between UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine. As a student of UCI, she suggested that if she were to choose this campus she would have to put up with the anti-Semitic attitudes often held by some students and therefore recommended Santa Barbara as the better choice. Although we may not know if this greatly influenced her final decision, it is tales like these that give UC Irvine its reputation and in turn discourage many prospective Jewish students from attending the university. Word of mouth is perhaps the best tool we have to advocate the strong ties of the Jewish community and even when this is being used against us it creates an obstacle to moving forward. Personally, the events that have taken place at UC Irvine drew me toward the Jewish community more than any other factor influencing this decision. At a place where Jews are the minority the desire to become a part of this close-knit group of students should only grow stronger.

It is absolutely necessary that we present the positive aspects of being a Jewish student on campus and the potential opportunities it renders. For this reason, the students put together a short movie to present to the community at Temple Bat Yahm. The film was not meant to discredit our previous talks with the President where we voiced our concerns, but rather the goal was to show that despite the obstacles that have arisen, the Jewish students still manage to thrive and enjoy the “college experience” …to their utmost potential in the city of Irvine. It was unclear whether or not the understandable worries of the adult Jewish community were quelled; many of whom expressed concerns beyond those of the students. However, I (along with many UC Irvine students) hope that whatever unease that still exists within the community can be channeled into something beneficial for students, not only on our own campus but around the United States as well. It is their support that has made so many Jewish student organizations successful by providing numerous funds and Israel advocacy training—a necessity to defeat the fad that has become so widespread."

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I feel that this article reflects the difficult position that many UCI Jewish students find themselves in and the response of many in the Jewish community to the on-going controversies at UCI. (and I don't assume for a minute that the attitudes of Jewish students are monolithic.) On the one hand, the writer refers to anti-Semitic events at UCI, but laments the negative press that UCI has received in recent years because it can only discourage more Jewish students from attending UCI. The writer also points out that other universities have experienced similar hate speech. He/she rightly points out that this is occurring in universities all over the US.

In regards to the outside community, the writer is diplomatic, but I infer that he/she would like to see the community take a step back. As I have documented in the past, the local community, which includes non-Jews as well has become quite vocal about the situation at UCI-especially since the Oren event, in which the Muslim Student Union disrupted the speech of the Israeli ambassador to the US at UCI. In addition, as I have pointed out, many Jewish students have spoken out against the involvement of the community. One young recent graduate, whom I respect, has written that Jewish students are being attacked  by the Jewish community in the controversy over the Olive Tree Initiative.

I respectfully disagree. No one from the community wants to attack the students. I sure don't because I respect their views. However, the OTI controversy aside ( of which I have already written), what is going on at UC-Irvine is not solely the concern of Jewish students. It is of concern to the entire community because it is a microcosm of what is going on in much of  the world. In the first place, any UCI parent or supporter has the right to know what is occurring on campus and speak out. Citizens all over the country have a right to know what is happening on their local campuses as well as other campuses. It is an issue of public interest. If the outside community deems it necessary to criticize the university, its leaders, radical speakers who use hate speech, local Jewish organizations or anyone else, that is their right. Bigotry, hate speech and intimidation are every body's business. Has it raised the level of tension? Yes, but what else has made the situation better after almost a decade of these annual anti-Israel hate fests that feature hateful radical speakers? For years, complaints to the university brought nothing-absolutely nothing in the way of improvement. Those who spoke out were deemed to be troublemakers and marginalized ( Need I mention Reut Cohen?) Faculty either remained silent or themselves joined in the festivities with their anti-Israel events that usually featured a fair amount of America-bashing as well. There was this example: Whither the Levant in January 2009 at UCI featuring a panel of Israel-haters including the ridiculous ex-professor Norman Finkelstein. On that day, I watched and heard at least three professors on the panel tell the audience that then-President George W Bush was "an idiot". 

But that's their right of free speech.

It is also free speech when Mohammed al-Asi came to UCI and told an audience that there was "a psychosis in the Jewish community"...."you can take a Jew out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew."

It is also free speech when Amir Abdel Malik Ali comes to UCI every year and talks about "Zionist Jews who are running the country and the government"..."Rahm Israel Emanuel, Rupert Murdoch (straight up Zionist Jew)" On his last appearance in May, he said, "You Jews-You'all the new Nazis!" After that, the UCI chancellor -finally- issued a statement criticizing hateful statements that had been made without mentioning the speaker, the words, the event or who had sponsored that speaker.

But UCI Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinski insists that there is no anti-Semitism at UCI.

In the last several years, who in the university has really spoken out? Who has confronted the speakers? ( I have, but usually, it's a lonely exercise.) Finally, last May, over 60 faculty members, mostly Jewish, issued a letter protesting the anti-Semitic nature of the Isarael Apartheid Weeks at UCI. (I also signed it.)

Then, last May about 300 community members came to UCI during Israel Apartheid Week to show the American and Israeli flags as well as posters protesting hate speech. It was highly effective. If UCI has acquired the reputation as "the worst university in the country" when it comes to this issue, it is now becoming known as the venue where these speakers can now expect a strong response from the community. Yet, the Orange County Jewish Federation and the UCI Hillel opposed that effort-as they have opposed any effort to bring the problems of UCI to the public's attention. They have preferred to work behind the scenes with the university-with no visible results.  Yet, they said the community showing up on campus was making things worse and that the ":students did not want them (the community) on campus". The head of Hillel said in my presence that "there was no anti-Semitism at UCI and repeated it for emphasis".  I was also told that same thing a couple of years back (in front of witnesses) by the head of the OC Jewish Federation. (No anti-Semitism at UCI). Most recently, the OC Jewish Experience blog (the blog of the OC Jewish Federation) has been engaged in an act of La'shon Haa'ra in launching an attack on a sole female community member who organized last May's community counter-protest at UCI and now has written a letter objecting to the Olive Tree Initiative.  In furtherance of that goal, they posted a letter from Hillel attacking that woman and reportedly signed by some 100 Jewish students-without getting the prior approval of many-if not most- of the students in question, as well as Chabat at UCI. When that fact came to light, Hillel posted a weak retraction that hardly even referenced what was actually done, but the original letter still sits on the web site of the OC Jewish Experience.

 However, in the final analysis, this all raises the crucial question-which each university should be asking itself: Is there anti-Semitism on the UCI campus? Let's go back to the posted letter above:

"In regard to the anti-Semitic events that have often occurred on the UC Irvine campus, Yudof states that there is nothing that can be done permanently."

"The students did have some serious concerns, some of whom have even been personally exposed to the tensions on campus or victimized in certain ways."

"While he may find some of the anti-Semitic speeches to be absolutely abhorrent, he is restricted in taking any extreme course of action due to strict university codes of conduct and even federal law. Furthermore, we must remember that unfortunately, UCI is not the only university exposed to such hate speech; anti-Israel sentiment has most recently become a trend all across campuses in the U.S."

So which is it? It can't be both ways. Either there is a problem on campus or there isn't. True, many Jewish students would prefer to dialogue with their Muslim counterparts on the subject of Israel. That's fine, but the events continue and the same old speakers keep showing up. The entire University of California system has shown that it is unable or unwilling to confront the problem in any meaningful way. The recent, much-ballyhooed "suspension" of the MSU for a year was reduced down to one quarter (10 weeks) by Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez on his final day in office as he danced off into retirement (an action which surprised nobody). Subsequently, the MSU adopted the name of Alkalima and went right on with their business this past quarter bringing in some  20-something British twit named Ben White, who is another international traveling Israel-basher. When told by a pro-Israel member of the audience of the Jewish families recently murdered in cold blood in the West Bank, he dismissed them as "illegal settlers." When the audience member reminded them they were "human beings-Jewish human beings", White responded that they were "illegal settler Jewish human beings."

And so it goes.

With all due respect to the Jewish students at any university. The issue is bigger than they are. They will come and go every four years. They can choose to be involved or ignore it. They can even choose to bash the state of Israel themselves. But for everybody, students, faculty, administration and community, there remains a central question: Is there anti-Semitism on campus or not? If there is, then it is everyone's business.

And finally, since I am an adjunct teacher at UCI (and not Jewish), am I actually a part of "the community" in this controversy?

You bet I am.