Law student groups at Berkeley amend bylaws to develop Jewish-free zones
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Several student groups at the University of California, Berkeley, Law School have passed an ordinance banning pro-Israel speakers from events.
Written by Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine (LSJP), the ordinance aims to “ensure the safety and well-being of Palestinian students on campus.” It added that the organization will provide “Palestine 101” training.
So far, at least nine groups have adopted the rule, including the Berkeley Law Muslim Student Association, Middle Eastern and North African Law Students Association, Womxn of Color Collective, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Queer Caucus, Community Defense Project, Women of Berkeley Law and law students of African descent.
Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the law faculty since 2017, identifies as Jewish and acknowledges that he would not be able to speak under this new regulation.
“It’s disturbing to broadly exclude a particular point of view from the utterance,” he told The Jewish News of Northern California. “Indeed, taken literally, this would mean that I could not be invited to speak because I support Israel’s existence, although I condemn many of its policies.”
Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine (LSJP) posted images of the new statute on Instagram, saying it will ban pro-Israel speakers at events
The statutes have since been passed by nine groups at Berkeley Law, while condemned by both school and national Jewish organizations
The ordinance aims to ensure ‘the safety and well-being of Palestinian students on campus’
A response from a Jewish group at Berkeley Law said it is ‘sad’ and ‘concerned’ by the decision for groups to pass the ordinance
Chemerinsky added that the students involved are “going down a very ugly road.”
“Berkeley Law wouldn’t be Berkeley Law if students didn’t get involved in a certain amount of false political nonsense,” he said.
“This is different because it’s not just a political stunt. It is laced with anti-Semitism and anti-Israel discrimination based on nationality.”
The Jewish Student Union at Berkeley Law wrote in response to the text saying they were “sad” and “concerned” that groups are “silencing Jewish voices on campus” and “alienating many Jewish students from certain groups on campus.”
“Students can advocate for Palestinians and criticize Israeli policies without denying Israel its right to exist or attacking the identities of other students,” the statement, co-authored by five members, said.
“We regret that this regulation creates an environment where only one point of view is acceptable.”
The larger campus group, the Jewish Student Association, complemented this view.
“When an affinity group adopts these regulations or grants speaking privileges when denouncing Israel, many Jewish people find themselves in an all-too-familiar position: denying or denigrating some part of their identity or being excluded from community groups,” the group wrote. .
The university, in addition to the aforementioned groups, did not immediately respond to questions from DailyMail.com.
Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky (pictured) is a progressive Zionist and says he would be banned from speaking at events organized by the groups that support the ordinance
Pictured: Tweets discussing the Berkeley Law group’s decision
The bylaws begin by saying that the group, which it adopts, will include “a Palestine-centered and decolonial approach to holding club activities,” according to an LSJP Instagram after.
The (insert name of the organization) is committed to providing a supportive community space for all indigenous peoples worldwide, including movements for Palestinian liberation,” it reads.
A caption on the post says LSJP is openly promoting the statutes to other student groups: ‘LSJP calls on ALL student organizations by Berkeley law to take an anti-racist and anti-colonial colonial stance and incorporate the statutes into their constitutions ASAP to take!’
Responding to the backlash from the statutes, the LSJP said they believed “Israel is an apartheid state,” requiring them to “have an obligation to act.”
“Supporting Palestinian liberation does not mean opposition to the Jewish people or the Jewish religion; in fact, Jewish liberation and Palestinian liberation are intertwined, and we are committed to each other’s safety,” it read.
Pictured: As a result of the public response, the LSJP has released a public statement in defense
Pictured: A two-page response written by LSJP in support of its decision to enact the ordinance and advertise it to other student groups
‘Supporting Palestinian liberation does not mean opposition to the Jewish people or the Jewish religion,’ is the reply
Jewish groups and organizations have since publicly reacted against the LSJP ordinance.
Roz Rothstein, co-founder of StandWithUs, shared: Fox news “misrepresentation of Zionism is anti-Semitic and will never lead to peace.”
Head of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Berkeley law alumnus Kenneth L. Marcus said the statutes are not “just a political student.” It is laced with anti-Semitism and anti-Israel discrimination based on nationality.”
Another group, the Zionist Organization of Americacriticized both the statutes and Chereminsky’s public response.
Noting his support for Israel’s existence, he felt the need to nuance it, adding that he condemned many of Israel’s policies – as if that were even remotely relevant to the question of whether Jewish and pro- Israeli voices and views have the right to be heard. expressed in Berkeley law,” President Morton A. Klein said.
The Berkeley Law Jewish Student Union concluded its statement by saying it hopes more students on campus will participate in the dialogue.