Family claims son was subjected to “unbearable” anti-Semitic harassment at Sacramento area High School

‘Hitler Youth’ School Play Followed Anti-Semitic Taunts, Family Says

By MARIA DINZEO

Courthouse News Service Thursday– November 17, 2009

SACRAMENTO (CN) – After a high school principal and school board blew off a mother’s complaints that her son was subjected to “unbearable” anti-Semitic harassment, including having “burn, Jew, burn” scratched onto his locker, the school compounded the insults by staging a play called “Hitler Youth,” the family claims in Federal Court.

Molly Zysman says her 16-year-old son was mercilessly harassed by anti-Semitic slurs “from the very beginning of his tenure” at Amador High School. She claims the Amador County Unified School District “ignored and even fostered an educational environment that is hostile to a Jewish student,” did nothing to stop his tormentors.

Zysman says her son suffered “unbearable harassment” at school and the principal and the school board gave her the brush-off when she complained.

Zysman says the harassment began in August 2007 when “burn, Jew, burn” was etched into her son’s metal gym locker. He complained to school officials, but they refused to investigate and the words remained there well into the following school year. They also refused to investigate when someone urinated in the locker in November 2008, though Zysman and her husband complained repeatedly.
Zysman says her son was forced to endure racial taunts from classmates, from “Heil Hitler” salutes and shouts of “stupid Jew,” to offensive jokes such as “How many Jews can you fit in a Volkswagen? As many as you can burn and fit in the ashtray.”

When Zysman’s husband went to speak to Principal Alan Van Velzen about the latest round of anti-Semitism, Van Velzen allegedly replied that he “can only take care of one of your son’s crises at a time.”

“Criticism is not censorship, Leadership requires courage”; SF State President Corrigan speaks out against anti-Israel boycott

Kudos to S.F. State president for stand on anti-Israel speech

Thursday, November 12, 2009 | by Susan Wolfe

Calls to boycott Israeli academics, divest from companies doing business in Israel, and impose economic sanctions against Israel are the latest tricks of the anti-Israel trade that have taken hold on college campuses the world over.

In the United Kingdom, Britain’s University and College Union has debated four times in the last four years whether to impose a boycott to prevent Israeli scholars from participating in conferences, research efforts and other academic endeavors with their peers from around the world. Thus far, the effort has not succeeded, yet year after year it appears on the agenda.

Two years ago, the divest-from-Israel campaign at Stanford University failed, but there are rumblings of new efforts afoot to try to convince Stanford’s board of trustees to cease business dealings and investment in companies working with and in Israel.

Each spring at U.C. Irvine, the Muslim Student Union stages a weeklong series of anti-Israel events. Calls for boycotts, divestment and sanctions are routine. Affronts have become so offensive that earlier this year the Orange County Independent Task Force on Anti-Semitism on Campus issued this startling recommendation: “Students with a strong Jewish identity should consider enrolling elsewhere unless and until tangible changes are made.”

The report concluded that anti-Semitism is thriving at U.C. Irvine because “the chancellor has failed to exercise his moral authority as an educator and leader by abrogating his leadership responsibilities.”

A few weeks ago, the Bay Area Jewish community learned that a student group at San Francisco State University planned to host Omar Barghouti, founder of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, for a Nov. 3 lecture. In a bold demonstration of leadership, S.F. State President Robert Corrigan did not stand idly by.

Anti-Gay Church: “God will soon send the Jews to hell”.–USA Today

Anti-gay church sets its sights on Jews

By Matthew E. Berger, Religion News Service

WASHINGTON — For more than a decade, Westboro Baptist Church has raised a ruckus with the message that God hates gays, posting itself outside government buildings, college campuses and even the funerals of American soldiers. But in recent months, the Topeka, Kan.-based church has been moving toward other targets, predominantly in the American Jewish community.

Westboro Baptist members were in Washington this week to protest speeches by President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Jewish Federations of North America conference. Members of the Phelps family have been to other, less high-profile sites as well, targeting synagogues, Jewish community centers and Hillels on college campuses.

The change in focus has caught Jewish leaders by surprise. While the group has always had anti-Semitic tendencies, it had largely stayed away from Jewish sites until this year.

In Washington, Margie Phelps balanced several signs targeting Jews, Israel and the Obama administration. One read “Rabbis Rape Kids,” another said “God Hates Jews.” Margie Phelps’ T-shirt read “Jews Killed Jesus.” She argued with men and women passing by, warning them that God will soon send the Jews to hell.

“I don’t care what you claim, chosen wise,” she said. “Obedience is the standard.”

Vandals strike California Synagogue, Florida JCC

November 11, 2009

(JTA) — Anti-Semitic messages and symbols were painted on a Sacramento-area synagogue.

Police are trying to determine whether Tuesday’s attack on Congregation Beth Shalom was a hate crime, the Sacramento Bee reported.

The vandalism included a swastika, the phrase “Kristallnacht still lives” and the SS lightning bolts symbol.

Also, bushes lining the outside of the synagogue building were set afire.

The vandal was captured on a surveillance video camera.

Meanwhile, a Florida Jewish community center was vandalized Monday. Gold spray-painted swastikas and the phrase “Jews shall die” were painted on the Soref JCC building in Coral Springs.

Also Monday, a heavy object was heaved through the window of a Jewish high school in Miami Beach, the Miami Herald reported.

ZOA Letter to UC President Yudof: UC Santa Cruz allegedly solicited funds for Hamas

“……Once again, a University of California campus was used to solicit funds that may have ended up in the hands of the terrorist group Hamas.  But this time, it was not a student group that solicited the funds or a speaker sponsored by the student group, which is what occurred at UC Irvine in violation of University of California polices and possibly in violation of federal law.  At UC Santa Cruz, it was the University itself doing the soliciting….” Excerpt from ZOA  letter to UC President Mark Yudof

To read the letter click below

letter to Mark Yudof re MECA & Viva Palestina 11-06-09

OC Task Force Expresses Concern over Shooting at North Hollywood Synagogue

The Orange County Independent Task Force on anti-Semitism expresses its concern over the shooting today at Congregation Adat Yeshuran in the San Fernando Valley.  This heinous act reminds us that we live in a dangerous world where houses of worship have increasingly  become the  targets of  haters. Our thoughts and wishes go out to the victims,  their families and the community for a speedy recovery.  We would also like commend the LAPD for its swift action.

ZOA Responds to MSU Charges

UC IRVINE’S MUSLIM STUDENT GROUP LIES, ATTACKS AND THREATENS ZOA, ADL, OTHER ZOA “AFFILIATES,” SEEKING TO SILENCE US – BUT DOES NOT REFUTE ZOA’S CHARGES OF WRONGDOING

In response to the troubling concerns that the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) recently raised about the questionable and disturbing conduct of the Muslim Student Union at the University of California, Irvine, the Muslim Student Union sent a hateful, rambling letter to Diane Fields Geocaris, UC Irvine’s Chief Campus Counsel, filled with threats, name-calling and false accusations against the ZOA, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other so-called ZOA “allied affiliates.”  Yet the Muslim Student Union never refuted the ZOA’s charges.  The group posted its letter, dated October 13, 2009, on its Web site.

These actions followed shortly after the ZOA sent letters to UC Irvine and the U.S. Department of Justice, raising concerns about whether the Muslim Student Union, a registered student group at UC Irvine, solicited funds on campus in violation of University policy, and used the campus as a base for fundraising for the terrorist group Hamas in violation of federal law.

The Muslim Student Union Reportedly Solicited Funds for

the Viva Palestina Convoy to Gaza

Last May, the Muslim Student Union sponsored radical Israel-bashing British politician George Galloway on campus to talk about his group, Viva Palestina, which organizes convoys of vehicles, goods and supplies to Hamas-controlled Gaza.  According to several witnesses and a videotape of the event, the Muslim Student Union and Galloway solicited funds from the audience for Viva Palestina.

There is evidence that these convoys to Gaza furnished material support and resources to Hamas, a group that the U.S. State Department has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, which would violate federal law.  Based on records produced by the University, the Muslim Student Union and Galloway solicited funds for Viva Palestina without University approval and without complying with numerous University policies regarding fundraising on campus.  In fact, University documents show that the Muslim Student Union misrepresented in writing to UC Irvine that the Galloway/Viva Palestina event was not going to be a fundraiser.  Several University officials were present at the event and knew or should have known that the solicitation of funds had not been authorized.  None put a stop to the misconduct and – at least according to records produced by the University – none reported the misconduct to senior UC Irvine officials.

The ZOA Reports Concerns about the Muslim Student Union’s Actions to

UC Irvine and the U.S. Justice Department

The ZOA provided UC Irvine and the U.S. Justice Department with detailed evidence supporting the ZOA’s claims, including a 31-page report about Viva Palestina recently issued by the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT).  The IPT’s Executive Director, Steven Emerson, is one of the foremost experts on domestic terrorism in the U.S.

The IPT report debunked the claim that Viva Palestina’s goal is to provide for the needy.  The report states that “Viva Palestina’s most visible leaders call for the elimination of the State of Israel . . . They treat Hamas leaders as the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people and provide both material and moral support to the terrorist organization.”

The ZOA also furnished UC Irvine and the U.S. Justice Department with information from a participant in the Viva Palestina convoy of July 2009, for which the Muslim Student Union reportedly solicited funds at UC Irvine.  The participant confirmed that the convoy’s resources went to Hamas.  Given the seriousness of the alleged wrongdoing at UC Irvine and the possibility that a federal anti-terrorism law was violated, the ZOA sent copies of its letters to several public officials, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, U.S. Congressmen Brad Sherman and John Campbell of California, California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, and leaders and members of several U.S. congressional committees who would be particularly concerned about the possibility that American college campuses are being used as a base to solicit funds for U.S.-designated terrorist groups like Hamas.

The Muslim Student Union Responds by Publishing a Letter to UC Irvine’s Chief

Campus Counsel, Lodging False and Malicious Accusations and Threats against the ZOA

Significantly, in its letter to UC Irvine’s Chief Campus Counsel, responding to the concerns raised about its conduct, the Muslim Student Union never refuted the ZOA’s allegation that the Muslim Student Union may have used UC Irvine as a base of fundraising for the terrorist group Hamas.  In its letter, the Muslim Student Union never refuted the ZOA’s allegation that the Muslim Student Union solicited funds for Viva Palestina in violation of University policy, and that in fact, the Muslim Student Union misrepresented to the University that the Galloway event was not going to be a fundraiser.  Indeed, the Muslim Student Union ridiculed the University’s protocol for fundraising, calling the detailed policies “university technicalities” – which the Muslim Student Union acknowledges having likely breached, both now and in the past.  In its letter, the Muslim Student Union never refuted the evidence that the ZOA provided to the University and to law enforcement – that the convoy to Gaza in July 2009, for which the Muslim Student Union reportedly solicited funds, provided support and resources to the terrorist group Hamas.

Instead, the Muslim Student Union launched a baseless and vicious attack on the ZOA, the ADL, the Orange County Independent Task Force on Anti-Semitism, StandWithUs, and nameless “others,” all of whom the Muslim Student Union has called the ZOA’s “allied affiliates.”

ZOA letter to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr./ US Attorney George S. Cardona

Below is a  letter from the Zionist Organization of America  (ZOA)  to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. and  US Attorney George S Cardona expressing concern and requesting an investigation of fund raising activities conducted by the Muslim Student Union (MSU) and George Galloway in May 2009.  The Orange County Independent Task Force on anti-Semitism (OCITF) has received a carbon copy of the letter.

Read the ZOA Letter Here

UC Irvine Chief Counsel: MSU/Galloway May ‘09 fund-raising activities “referred to Law Enforcement “

The Orange County Independent Task force on anti-Semitism  (OCITF), today, received a carbon copy of a response to concerns raised by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) from Diane Fields Geocaris, UCI’s Chief Campus Counsel.   According to the letter, “the University has referred that matter to law enforcement officials for action as they deem appropriate.”  Additionally, with regard to the conduct of University employees and that the MSU may have violated University policies,  UCI notified the ZOA that the University has “initiated an internal review of these matters, and will proceed as expeditiously as possible. ”According to the ZOA, ” the Muslim Student Union (MSU), a registered student group on campus, may have illegally used the University of California, Irvine (UCI) as a base for fund-raising for the terrorist group Hamas.”

To read the letter, click here.

Police probing N.Y. signs with ‘Kill Jews’

October 1, 2009

NEW YORK (JTA) — Police are investigating a series of incidents involving the spread of anti-Semitic material in Brooklyn.

On Wednesday morning, residents of the Bay Ridge neighborhood found hundreds of 2-inch signs with the words “Kill Jews” across part of a street, the New York Daily News reported.

Authorities said identical signs had been found littering other parts of the New York borough on at least two other occasions this month.

The New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes unit reportedly has launched an investigation.

“This isn’t a one-time situation,” Herb Karasik, president of the Bay Ridge Jewish Center, told the Daily News. “This has been an ongoing problem.”

ZOA letter to UC Irvine: MSU/Galloway May ‘09 campus event may have illegally raised funds for Hamas

On September 22, 2009, the Orange County Independent Task Force on anti-Semitism (OCITF) received a carbon copy of a letter from the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) to UC Irvine General Counsel Diane Giocaris. The letter describes “…very disturbing information concerning the Muslim Student Union (MSU) and a program it conducted during its anti-Israel and anti-Semitic event at UCI last May.”

On May 21, 2009, as part of “Israel: the Politics of Genocide,” the MSU featured George Galloway, a member of the British Parliament, whose topic was “Viva Palestina, Galloway’s convoy to Gaza…”.  ZOA’s letter alleges that: ”Prior to the program, MSU specifically affirmed in writing that this was not going to be a fundraiser. Yet, according to the ZOA, at the program,  both MSU and Mr Galloway  solicited funds for Viva Palestina from the over 850 people in attendance and we are concerned that the funds may have been delivered to Hamas in Gaza in July 2009.”  Hamas has been designated by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and providing material support and resources to an FTO is a violation of federal law.   The letter states that several University policies were violated during this event and that at least four campus administrators were present, but did nothing to stop the unauthorized and “potentially illegal” fund raising activities.

Earlier this year, Galloway was refused entry into Canada for allegedly providing material support to Hamas.

The OCITF urges community members to contact UCI Chancellor Michael Drake and urge him to immediately investigate these very serious allegations.

Chancellor Michael Drake
University of California, Irvine
Office of the Chancellor
Irvine, CA 92697-5125
(949)-824-5111
chancellor@uci.edu

to read the entire ZOA letter click here:

Ahmadinejad says Holocaust a lie, Israel has no future

By Parisa Hafezi and Firouz Sedarat Parisa Hafezi And Firouz Sedarat

TEHRAN (Reuters) – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the Holocaust a lie Friday, raising the stakes against Israel just as world powers try to decide how to deal with the nuclear ambitions of an Iran in political turmoil.

“The pretext (Holocaust) for the creation of the Zionist regime (Israel) is false … It is a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim,” he told worshippers at Tehran University at the end of an annual anti-Israel “Qods (Jerusalem) Day” rally.

“Confronting the Zionist regime is a national and religious duty.”

Ahmadinejad’s anti-Western comments on the Holocaust have caused international outcry and isolated Iran, which is at loggerheads with the West over its nuclear program.

The hardline president warned leaders of Western-allied Arab and Muslim countries about dealing with Israel.

“This regime (Israel) will not last long. Do not tie your fate to it … This regime has no future. Its life has come to an end,” he said in a speech broadcast live on state radio.

Germany said Ahmadinejad was a “disgrace to his country.”

“This sheer anti-Semitism demands our collective condemnation. We will continue to confront it decisively in the future,” Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

Anti-Semites attack in Argentina, Russia

Sep. 14, 2009
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Anti-Semitic attacks on Shabbat once again preceded the Jewish New Year for two Jewish communities on opposite sides of the globe.

A gang of skinheads was arrested in Russia on Sunday after a double arson attack on a synagogue and a police investigator’s house. The four were arrested on suspicion of having thrown Molotov cocktails at their targets in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk, AFP reported Monday.

According to the local branch of the Russian interior ministry, the extremist group launched the double attack overnight Saturday. “The nationalists were divided into two groups: one threw Molotov cocktails at the windows of a synagogue, the other on the house of a policeman,” the ministry said.

“In the synagogue, the youth targeted a room specially equipped for children,” added the ministry spokesman.

The other target in the city was the home of a local policeman who investigates cases involving extremist violence such as Saturday’s anti-Semitic attack. The gang specifically threw their incendiary bombs at the room where they thought the man’s children slept, investigators said.

The Interior Ministry added that they believed the attacks were intentionally timed to coincide with the Jewish New Year.

The four suspects, ranging from 15 to 23 years old, could face up to five years in prison for arson. They could also be tried for attempted murder of a police officer.

In the same weekend, vandals destroyed nearly 60 gravestones at a Jewish cemetery in Buenos Aires, said the secretary-general of the Jewish Community in Argentina on Sunday. The cemetery includes the graves of some of the victims of the 1994 terrorist attack on a Jewish community center in the Argentinian capital.

UCI student describes “vicious Jew hatred” at at UC Irvine

Hat tip to Gary Fouse:

Vicious Jew-Hatred Wins Center Stage at UC Irvine

July 28, 2009 – by Aaron Elias–Pajamas Media

The Muslim Student Union’s “Palestine Awareness Week” is, once again, a cesspool of Islam-fueled madness.

To see a firsthand example of Islamic fundamentalist anti-Semitism, you need look no further than the University of California, Irvine.

The campus’ Muslim Student Union is nationally infamous for their annual anti-Israel week (which they unsuccessfully christen “Palestine Awareness” week) and for the vitriolic anti-Semitic language of some of their speakers. The MSU is the type of organization proud to invite the soft-core porn-drawing, scholar-wannabe Norman Finkelstein, which it did in 2008.

This past May, the MSU’s anti-Israel week was perhaps more gorged with controversy than ever before. A number of campus groups organized in order to petition the co-sponsors of the week-long carnival of misinformation of the nature of the event they had agreed to co-sponsor. As it turned out, many of these campus groups were unaware of the controversial nature of anti-Israel week, as the MSU delegates who pitched it to them failed to objectively and accurately describe it. As a result of the petition, [1] five co-sponsors reneged their participation. In addition, one of the MSU’s scheduled speakers — Gideon Levy, a Jerusalem Post journalist — also canceled his attendance.

Gary Fouse: Jews need to “recognize the reality”

“All I can add is that during my time trying to expose the anti-Semitism that has arisen out of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, it never ceases to amaze me how fragmented the Jewish community is. In my view, if one group needs to come together, it is the Jews. They are faced with a resurgence of anti-Semitism and a force that wants to wipe them off the face of the earth. I don’t expect all Jews to blindly endorse everything Israel does, but they do need to recognize the reality of those seeking Israel’s destruction and that there is an anti-anti-Jewish undertone to it as well.”   Gary Fouse , July 23, 2008

Hate Speech: “Difficult to define precisely”?

In contrast to the comments in the previous post:

” …Hate speech is difficult to define precisely.” It is largely defined by the person individual hearing it: what some or many might find hateful or offensive, others may not….” UCI Chancellor Michael Drake ” Message on hate speech” May 26.2006.

“..One persons hate speech is another persons education” — UCI Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez October 18, 2006.

“We have 1,000 guest speakers on campus every year. Could I evaluate them and say this one is anti-Semitic? I could not. What I could say is that as a person and a campus, we abhor hate speech, period.” – UCI Chancellor Michael Drake May 30, 2007.

“…I do agree there were certainly instances of boorish and intimidating behavior.  Some of this behavior involved people not associated with the University.  Neither the University nor the Police Department has the means or ability to control such rude or obnoxious behavior…” UC Irvine Police Chief Paul Henisey—January 20, 2009

“…UC Irvine did experience instances of racist, hateful and anti-Semitic speech on our campus last month.   The Chancellor has stated on many occasions that he personally finds this type of speech abhorrent, offensive and counterproductive…” Ramona H. Agrela, UCI Associate Chancellor–June 12, 2009

A “Fundamental Breach of Civility”

These excerpts are from an article published on December 11, 2006, by then Johns Hopkins President William Brody

Important words:

By William R. Brody

A Civil Tongue

It is time to talk about freedom of speech.

“Recent events on the Homewood campus have provoked allegations that the university is not sufficiently protecting the free expression of ideas among our students. In particular, the outcry and controversy surrounding a racially demeaning invitation to a fraternity party, and the resulting sanctions imposed by the Student Conduct Board (which are currently on appeal), are being construed as an attempt by the university to prohibit speech it doesn’t particularly want to hear.

I disagree….”

“…. What I see here is not a courageous trespass of taboo speech but rather a fundamental breach of civility of the sort that is so commonly displayed in disparagement, mockery or epithets drawn along racial or ethnic lines. It is, simply put, common name-calling. This is what I believe we should agree is unacceptable in our community of free and open discourse. Let us not forget that true civility is not a program of fair treatment for this or that constituency but rather an underlying and fundamental commitment to showing respect for everybody…”

“…To any who doubt the consequence of teaching respect and civility, or who claim we are out of line in demanding that all members of our community comport themselves honorably in their dealings with others, I say this: Look around you. Look at the world we live in, where so many societies are literally falling apart because group A would rather encounter death and destruction than show basic human respect for group B. These are not trivial matters. Let us never underestimate the value of civility, not just to protect people’s feelings but to preserve the possibility of freedom itself…” The Johns Hopkins University Gazette

Once upon a time….

Once upon a time in a far away land a there was University Administration with the character to stand up to racism and hatred on its campus; And while this is a very olde tale indeed, its message still resonates today……..

This events described in the press release below  are very serious. They occurred in October 2006.  It is important  to note this because it  illustrates unequivocal and decisive action taken by Johns Hopkins University in the wake of what was described as “racist” fraternity party.  It also emphasizes the that this institution actually enforces its rules and regulations and protects it’s students, faculty and others:  

University Statement on Investigation of Fraternity

On Saturday evening, Oct. 28, at an off-campus house, members of the Sigma Chi fraternity sponsored a party that was advertised as a “Halloween in the ‘Hood” party. The invitation invoked offensive racial stereotyping. The coordinator of Greek life last week had told the chapter president that he found the advertisement racist and offensive and directed the fraternity to withdraw the advertising immediately. The advertising later reappeared, without the coordinator’s knowledge, in altered but still offensive form.

A decoration outside the party site was a plastic skeleton dressed in pirate garb hanging from a rope noose.

The university’s community liaison officer was asked early Sunday to respond to the scene of the party. After she did so, a decision was made to close the event down.

The university is now conducting a full investigation into this matter. Based on the information received thus far, the university has suspended all activities of the Sigma Chi fraternity, pending the results of the investigation. The university has also alerted the fraternity’s national headquarters about this action. The national fraternity has imposed a 45-day suspension of the chapter’s activities and will conduct its own investigation.

The university will be investigating whether the Sigma Chi fraternity chapter or any of its members violated university policies and regulations proscribing:

• conduct or a pattern of conduct that harasses a person or a group;
• intimidation of any person which results in limiting her/his full access to all aspects of life at the university;
• and hosting an event in violation of university party registration policies

Student discusses how the college campus has become a hub of anti-semitism

Anti-Semitism on Campus—An Easy Target

Student David Elmaleh discusses how the college campus has become a hub of anti-semitism

Shouting, anti-religious slurs, evil glares and anti-Semitic rhetoric often get thrown my way as I walk through the halls during one of the countless anti-Israel demonstrations at York University. Am I a walking target? I often wonder if I am drawing a bull’s eye for myself when I dress in a way that identifies me as a Jew on campus. Indeed, the distinction between anti-Zionist and anti-Jewish is becoming increasingly blurred.

In several cases, these rallies have deteriorated into soapboxes for Jew bashing. I have been called names and been insulted for simply wearing my kippah. One day, while hurrying to a class, a few individuals stopped me in the hallway and began berating me about Israeli policies.

The campus newspaper has not been very helpful; it consistently presents editorials and articles that blast Israel, while very few pro-Israel pieces make it into the paper. Last year, after the fatal terrorist attack at the Mercaz HaRav yeshivah in Jerusalem, a York student wrote an op-ed for the campus paper entitled “Jewish Attack Not a Surprise,” which defended the massacre and called on continued resistance in order to end the occupation in Gaza. Jewish students of all walks of life felt outraged and hurt that their paper had printed such a hate-inspired editorial. It sparked intense debate among all factions of students, and, as usual, Jews were targeted.

Below is my response to the op-ed.

Holocaust Museum Guard was a “A soft spoken Gentle Giant”

Grief, Shock Over Death Of Museum Guard

Washington Post: 39-Year-Old Stephen T. Johns Was Known For Courtesy And Friendliness

Colleagues called Stephen T. Johns “Big John,” for he was well over 6 feet tall. But mostly friends recalled the security guard’s constant courtesy and friendliness.

“A soft-spoken, gentle giant,” said Milton Talley, a former employee of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, where Johns was killed yesterday in the line of duty — shot, authorities said, by an avowed white supremacist who entered the museum with a rifle.

Breaking News: Gunman With Neo-Nazi ties Kills Guard at Holocaust Museum

Elderly gunman kills guard at Holocaust Museum

By NAFEESA SYEED, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – An elderly gunman opened fire with a rifle inside the crowded U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday, gravely wounding a security guard before being shot. Authorities said they were investigating a white supremacist as the suspect. The assailant and his victim were both hospitalized, said Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty, who added that the gunman was in critical condition.

Canadian Government Invests in National Task Force Against anti-Semitism

Ottawa pledges $1M for anti-Semitism task force

TORONTO — The Canadian government, in partnership with B’nai Brith Canada, will invest nearly $1 million on a national task force to combat anti-Semitism, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney said last week…..

 ….Frank Dimant, B’nai Brith Canada’s executive vice-president, spoke of the verbal and physical attacks perpetrated against Jewish and pro-Zionist students at university campuses across Canada over the past year.  “It seems unthinkable, he mused, that in this day and age, “Canadian universities would be the hotbed of anti-Semitism, disguised as anti-Zionism.”… read it here

OC Task Force Condemns Recent Grafitti Attack on Cypress Islamic Center

The Orange County Independent Task Force on anti-Semitism condemns, in the strongest terms, the recent grafitti attack on the Islamic Center of Cypress.  This attack on a center of worship reminds us that hatred and bigotry must be confronted in all of its forms and that the perpetrators of these kinds of outrages should be swiftly prosecuted.  There is no place in civilized society for  purveyors of religious hatred and bigotry.

Candidly Speaking: Ugly vibes from Europe (*and American University Campuses)

Candidly Speaking: Ugly vibes from Europe

By ISI LEIBLER

“…..The ferocity and extraordinary resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe cannot simply be attributed exclusively to the impact of Muslim migrants or rage against Israeli policies. The anti-Israel tsunami which swept across Europe can only be appreciated in the context of the profound traditional hatred of Jews which, we now realize, only went into remission when the horrors of the Holocaust were unveiled. But half a century later it has reemerged with a vengeance, with the Jewish nation state acting as surrogate for anti-Semitism directed against Jews.

How else can one explain why this tiny embattled Jewish state has assumed the role of scapegoat for all the ills of humanity. It is reminiscent of the times when Jews were accused of poisoning the wells, spreading the plague and acting as the sinister force behind capitalism and communism? How else to explain why Israel has been condemned as a rogue state representing a greater threat to peace than North Korea or Iran? How else to explain the application of Holocaust inversion to its treatment of the Palestinians while silence prevails concerning human rights violations and mass murders in countries like Sudan, Sri Lanka or Congo? How else to explain why its legitimate efforts to defend its citizens against terrorists and missiles are blamed for the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and global terrorism?…”

Professor Judea Pearl Weighs in on UC Irvine

We would like to thank Professor Judea Pearl for personally sending us his current article in L A Jewish Journal—OCITF

The Crucible of UC Irvine

Judea Pearl

Universities, like religions, are often judged not by what they preach but by what they tolerate.

This painful truth came to mind upon reading Neelie Genya Milstein’s op-ed article in these pages, “Protecting Hate at UC Irvine” (May 22, 2009), in which she describes the atmosphere at the University of California at Irvine (UCI), where the Muslim Students Union (MSU) celebrated a week-long lynching of Jewish identity under the banner “Israel: The Politics of Genocide.”

ZOA Letter blasts Yudof Response to MSU-UCI Anti-Semitic Programs

Text of ZOA’S  Letter to UC President Mark Yudof

Dear President Yudof:

We were very disappointed in your response to the many messages of concern and outrage you received about the anti-Semitic program sponsored by the Muslim Student Union (MSU) at the University of California, Irvine from May 5-21, 2009. Given a disgraceful title
promoting an anti-Israel falsehood – “Israel: The Politics of Genocide” – the MSU’s program consisted of more than two weeks of hateful lies about Jews, Zionism and Israel. With all due respect, your response was much too understated and qualified. You should have absolutely and unconditionally condemned a program that – as it does every year – promoted hatred of Jews and Israel.

Rep. Brad Sherman Expresses Concern about Campus Anti-Semitism to the D.O.E.

Calif. rep inquires about anti-Semitism policy May 27, 2009 WASHINGTON (JTA) — A U.S. congressman is asking the Department of Education to clarify its position on the protection of Jewish students against anti-Semitic discrimination. In a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) expresses his concern about the response to “anti-Semitic incidents aimed at Jewish students at several colleges and universities” by the department’s Office for Civil Rights. The civil rights office concluded in 2007 that it lacked jurisdiction over such incidents because Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on “race, color or national origin.” The office said none of those categories applies to anti-Semitism. Sherman’s letter argues that “under the federal courts’ interpretations of various civil rights statutes, Jews are both a racial and a national origin group,” and asks for a clarification of the civil rights office’s policy. The office made the decision after a 2004 complaint filed by the Zionist Organization of America alleging a pattern of anti-Semitic harassment, intimidation and discrimination at the campus of the University of California, Irvine.

Comments From the Petition; Drake Remains Silent

Thus far, Chancellor Drake remains “Content Neutral”  The following are some of the comments made by individuals who signed the  Petition (Courtesy of ZOA)  which calls on Chancellor Drake to  publicly and unequivocally speak out against  anti-Semitism at UC Irvine:

“This petition in very important not only to us in the Jewish community but also to the University itself. it would go a long way to correcting the overwhelming perception that UCI is the most anti-semetic (sic) campus in the nation.”

“How can you allow this open anti-Semitism to exist on a University of California campus? You should all be ashamed.”

“My son is an alumni of UCI, currently attending a medical school. I will not allow my daughter to attend UCI should your policy remain as it is.”

“I didn’t feel safe walking on campus! It is unbelievable that something like that is allowed on campus – it definitely (sic) wasn’t peaceful!”

“My daughter is finishing her MFA at UC Irvine. I cannot say enough how sorry I am that she has gone to graduate school under these hostile conditions.”

“Shame on the UCI administration!! You have a responsibility to provide a safe and hate-free environment for learning. You fail miserably”

“Your silence in the face of anti-semitism on your campus seems like tacit approval of it”

“As a parent of a student who attended your medschool and informed me of this when he attended, I am appalled that more is not said. Everyone has the right to voice their opinion, but when it enhances prejudice, fear and discordance, it is inappropriate that the UC system of which I am also a part of, says nothing. I will no longer be giving funds to any UC campus until this is addressed.”

OC Task Force Applauds OC ADL’s May 14, 2009 letter to UCI Chancellor Drake

The Orange County Independent Task Force on anti-Semitism applauds  ADL Regional Director Kevin O’Grady for taking a firm stand against anti-Semitic and racist hatred at UC Irvine:

“….We firmly believe that your unwillingness to specifically condemn the anti-Semitic comments that were spewed on your campus last year in conjunction with MSU’s activities sent a signal that they were acceptable and led to the escalation of hate this year. In such circumstances, it is your responsibility as Chancellor to exercise your own First Amendment rights and use your bully pulpit to denounce Amir Abdul Malik Ali by name, to remove the offensive display from the entrance of your campus and to restore the integrity of U.C. Irvine as a place that promotes a civil, respectful and welcoming academic environment. There is no legitimate excuse for inaction now – enough is enough!…” Read the letter here:

Another Jewish Student Speaks out: Hatred Protected at UCI

May 20, 2009

Protecting Hate at UC Irvine

by Neelie Genya Milstein

http://www.jewishjournal.com/ opinion/article/protecting_hate_at_uc_irvine_20090520/

Imagine walking on a campus past buildings where you have taken numerous classes with many peers, past the Student Center where you have eaten lunch many times, past all the familiar places where you have felt safe and accepted. Now imagine walking by those same places and seeing blood-stained flags of a nation that is part of your identity. Posters with “anti-hate = anti-Israel” and “Stop Israeli Genocide” parade in front of you. Displays surround you with images of cruel IDF soldiers, dead Gazans, Anne Frank — a symbol of Jewish tragedy — wearing a kaffiyeh, and of Israel’s barrier to protect Jews from terrorism, labeled an “apartheid wall.” It is as if everything Israel and Jews ever stood for is racism, bloodshed and war. You are a Jew; a proud Jew, a proud supporter of Israel. Now you are seen as nothing but a racist murderer on your own campus.

When I first walked onto campus and saw the Israeli flag blowing in the wind, ripped and blood-stained, I was filled with anger, sadness, and helplessness. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, “These are lies. This is disgusting!” I didn’t scream, but I trembled with rage at the Muslim Student Union (MSU), and even more, at the UCI administration for standing by as their students are humiliated, chewed up and spit out, and depicted almost as animals.

New York Synagogue, Jewish Center targeted in bombing plot

Synagogue targeted in NY plot, four charged

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Four men were arrested on Wednesday in a suspected plot to bomb a synagogue and Jewish community center in New York City and to shoot at military planes with stinger missiles, law enforcement officials said.

A joint release from the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, the FBI and the New York Police Department said the suspects were charged with plotting to detonate explosives near a synagogue in the Riverdale section of New York’s Bronx borough….Read it here

Malik Ali’s “Naked Hate” Steals the Show— New University

Speakers Favor Controversy Over Facts

by Aaron Elias

Volume 42, Issue 29 |  May 18 2009

“Controversy is good … Controversy is exactly what we want.”

This statement, made by Anna Baltzer last Tuesday, reflects a growing trend in the Muslim Student Union’s (MSU) annual anti-Israel week. Baltzer apparently fails to realize that some people prefer facts rather than a questionable presentation based on faulty assertions and plain fabrications. Baltzer not only damned the Israeli security barrier for “preventing daily life” but took a step past the line of reason by saying it “doesn’t prevent attacks,” even though terrorism has declined by 92 percent since the barrier’s construction in 2002.

Cynthia McKinney, a former congresswoman, was a new addition to the MSU’s lineup of speakers. McKinney decried American foreign aid to Israel and briefly recounted her experience in attempting to sail through the Israeli naval barrier implemented around Gaza to prevent Hamas from smuggling arms.

However, the show was stolen by Malik Ali, an Oakland imam who has repeatedly accused the “Zionist Jews” of corrupting and controlling the United States government, economy and media. Ali has also repeated the conspiracy theory that the “Zionist Jews” were responsible for 9/11. His constant vilification of the “Zionist Jew” is a weak way to dodge charges of anti-Semitism, as most Jews are Zionists by religious affiliation.

Last Thursday night, Ali delivered a speech in the Student Center entitled “Silence is Consent.” Unfortunately, Ali’s speech was not at all concerned with facts, as it focused more on religious extollment and anti-America and anti-Israel rhetoric. What was surprising was the much-higher level of vitriol and naked hate in Ali’s rhetoric at the nighttime event in comparison to his public daytime event at the flagpoles.

Olive Trees at UC Irvine? Someone didn’t get the Message

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA POLICIES APPLYING TO
CAMPUS ACTIVITIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND STUDENTS

40.00 POLICY ON USE OF UNIVERSITY PROPERTIES

A. Use by University-Related Persons and Groups “….Whenever an event is sponsored by a registered campus organization, it must be reviewed by the Office of the Dean of Students, as appropriate, for compliance with University policies and procedures.”

In addition to the “apartheid wall”, displays like these lined Ring Road on 5/14/09, courtesy of MSU and their co-sponsors.

During Malik Ali’s traditional noontime bash of “Zionist Jews”, Israel and America, he renewed his call for “civil disobedience”.  He also blamed Somali piracy on  “fishing Rights”and the  West’s “dumping of nuclear waste ” in Somali Waters.

Additional photos click on:

UCI Continues to Allow MSU Supporters as Security Personel

It is incumbent upon the University to provide adequate security and police protection for all of its students, especially when organizations such as the Muslim Student Union at UCI bring incendiary and hate speakers to the campus. The UCI administration has allowed untrained MSU members to act as “security guards” for their own events. This should not be tolerated as it creates an unsafe and potentially hazardous environment for students, faculty and visitors to the campus. If the university does not have the resources to provide adequate police protection, then perhaps they should require those groups to pay for additional qualified uniformed campus police.From top: MSU supporters “guard” Cynthia McKinney. Middle:  Audience  member approaches Ms. McKinney’s podium to ask a question and is immediately met by several MSU supporters. Bottom: Dean of  Students Sally Peterson escorts audience member away from the podium.

Congressman Brad Sherman’s May 8, 2009, Letter to UCI Chancellor Drake

Courtesy of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA)

Dear Chancellor Drake,’

“I am writing you again this year to express my continued concern…….”Read Congressman Shermans letter here

A newer low is achieved: Mocking Anne Franks Memory

Chancellor Michael Drake has a Constitutional right and the moral duty to unequivocally and unambiguously, speak out against the hatred on his campus. He has not.

Note:   The offensive Anne Frank picture was eventually covered with a scarf , Thanks to  the OC Task Force Executive Vice President Robert Winer M.D..

Update:

UC Irvine has removed “Israel: The politics of Genocide” and other direct references to Israel, etc, from the Campus Marquees. They have also issued the “disclaimer” “: “Marquee announcements may not represent UCI sponsorship.”  Photos have been taken of the Marquees.

On  May 7, 2009, a  letter from the Task Force requested that the University take immediate steps to remove that advertisement, issue a disclaimer distancing UC Irvine and where appropriate, apply sanctions in accordance with the policies of the University of California, the University of California, Irvine and California Education Code.

It should be noted that the use of the official Seal of the University of California, was unauthorized and inappropriately displayed on promotional material for the January 31,  2009,  anti-Israel program: Wither the Levant? The Crisis of the Nation State: Lebanon, Israel and Palestine,  organized by the Levantine Cultural Center of Los Angeles and the  Middle East Studies Student Initiative.  The Task Force contacted the Chancellors office, who in turn determined that the use of the seal was unauthorized and ordered it’s removed from promotional material.  Read: Task Force Letter

UC Irvines dismissive response:

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We have reviewed UC Irvine’s marquee services guidelines. The marquee service is available for events when:

* The event is a University-sponsored event;
* The event is sponsored by a registered campus organization; or
* The event is community sponsored.

The announcement you referenced in your email meets one of these requirements because the event is sponsored by MSU, which is a registered campus organization.

As a result of our review, we have instituted changes to a number of current event announcements, including the MSU announcement, to more succinctly direct visitors to the location of the event that they are interested in attending.

Although we may strongly disagree with a particular event, program or speaker hosted, organized and paid for by a student organization, the University is legally obligated to uphold state and federal laws that protect free speech activities. This also affects our decision about posting event announcements; for example, we cannot refuse to post an event announcement because we might disagree with the content of the program or its title.

To read the letter to UCI click:

Advertisement for hate? Shame on UC Irvine!!

Photos Taken May 6, 2009 Campus at West Peltason.  OC Independent Task Force on anti-Semitism (all rights reserved)

Photos Taken May 6, 2009 Campus at West Peltason.  OC Independent Task Force on anti-Semitism (all rights reserved)

ACCORDING TO THE CALIFORNIA EDUCATION CODE SECTION 92000-92001:

“92000. (a) The name “University of California” is the property of the state. No person shall, without the permission of the Regents of the University of California, use this name, or any abbreviation of it or any name of which these words are a part, in any of the following ways:

(1) To designate any business, social, political, religious, or other organization, including, but not limited to, any corporation, firm, partnership, association, group, activity, or enterprise.

(2) To imply, indicate or otherwise suggest that any such organization, or any product or service of such organization is connected or affiliated with, or is endorsed, favored, or supported by, or is opposed by the University of California.

(3) To display, advertise, or announce this name publicly at, or in connection with, any meeting, assembly, or demonstration, or any propaganda, advertising, or promotional activity of any kind which has for its purpose or any part of its purpose the support, endorsement, advancement, opposition, or defeat of any strike, lockout, or boycott or of any political, religious, sociological, or economic movement, activity, or program…..”

Special thanks to OC Task Force advisory member Gary Fouse.

To: UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake

“We have 1,000 guest speakers on campus every year. Could I evaluate them and say this one is anti-Semitic? I could not. What I could say is that as a person and a campus, we abhor hate speech, period.” –Chancellor Michael Drake. Read it here

Courtesy of the  ZOA.   This petition is being circulated by a concerned community member.

OVER  5,500 SIGNATURES!!

sign the petition here:

To:  UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake

We, the undersigned, call on you to speak out and publicly condemn the annual Israel-bashing event on campus that is being sponsored by UC Irvine’s Muslim Student Union from May 5-21, 2009. The title alone – “Israel: The Politics of Genocide” – reflects that this event, like previous Muslim Student Union events, will demonize Israel and make false and hateful accusations against Israel and Jews. Individuals scheduled to speak at this event have a record of making hateful and vilifying statements about Jews, Zionism and Israel. A program like this one can promote violence against Jews on campus and beyond.

In addition to publicly condemning this event that will promote hatred of Jews and Israel, we call on you to condemn the Muslim Student Union, the perpetrators of the anti-Semitic bigotry. This group continues to violate the values and principles of the UC Irvine community that specifically call for “a learning climate free from expressions of bigotry.”

As an American, you have the right to speak out and explicitly denounce anti-Semitism, especially when it occurs on your campus. As an educational leader, you have the moral obligation to speak out.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned