Task Force Will Continue to Monitor Anti-Semitism at UCI

Huntington Beach, CA – September 19, 2008 – The Orange County Independent Task Force on anti-Semitism will continue to monitor fresh allegations of ongoing anti-Semitic activity at The University of California, Irvine (UCI).  The Task Force consists of Jewish and non-Jewish members of the community, and includes current and former faculty members, religious and lay community leaders.

On February 12, 2008, the Independent Task Force completed its year long investigation at UCI.  Over 80 hours of interviews, as well as, documents, written complaints and numerous visits to the campus were used in the compilation of the subsequent Report and Recommendations.
The complete 34 page report can be found at:
https://octaskforce.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/orange-county-task-force-report-on-anti-semitism-at-uci.pdf
Over the past several months, the Task Force has continued to receive disturbing reports including the following:

•    Anti-Semitic programs sponsored by MSU have continued, with guest speakers ratcheting up anti-Semitic hate speech.

•    On March 30, 2008, twenty current and former Jewish and non-Jewish UCI students issued a press release expressing (in part) deep concern “…about the anti-Semitism at UCI that has been frequently couched as false and hateful attacks on Israel. We do not believe that UCI Chancellor Michael Drake has exercised his responsibility as an educator and university leader in response to the anti-Semitism…”

•    According to The Orange County Anti-Defamation Leagues (ADL) press release on March 5, 2008:

“……The Jewish communities in Orange County and Long Beach remain the religious group most targeted for attack. Unfortunately, many of these incidents continue to occur on school campuses.  We are particularly disturbed by those incidents that occur in the lower grades,” said Kevin O’Grady, ADL Orange County Regional Director.  Incidents across the region included vandalism, hate mail sent to community leaders and organizations, and white supremacist newspapers distributed throughout Orange County.
“Most disturbing, in the Orange County and Long Beach region, is existence of anti-Semitic speakers and faculty members on university campuses.  The continued willingness of the Muslim Students’ Union at the University of California, Irvine to invite highly anti-Semitic speakers to campus remains a concern.  These speakers continue to blame Jews for controlling American foreign policy, the world’s media and banking systems and for the U.S. involvement in Iraq.  Kevin MacDonald, an anti-Semitic professor at California State University, Long Beach continues to promote his version of academic anti-Semitism; a version that is supported by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups.  While the leaders of both schools have broadly condemned hate speech, neither school has condemned speakers by name…”

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASUS_12/5251_12.htm

•    A press release dated May 13, 2008, issued by the “student leaders” of the five main Jewish campus organizations, called attention to the May 12-16th MSU event, “Never Again? The Palestinian Holocaust” stating, in part, the following:

“…In the upcoming week the pro-Israeli Students of the University of California, Irvine will witness acts of hatred from fellow students. Ringroad, a main road on UCI’s campus, will have a makeshift wall which will have pictures, articles, and a bloodied Israeli flag that blames Israel and Jews for a so-called Palestinian Holocaust in Israel .This threatening event will be taking place all week…”(emphasis added).
Letter from Jewish student leaders at UCI—May 13, 2008.

•    During “Palestine Awareness Week”, caricatures depicting stereotypical “hooked nosed Jews” and displays invoking “blood libel” appeared on MSU’s “apartheid wall” which mocks Israel as a “racist apartheid state”.

•    In May 2008, a female Jewish journalist reported that she and a male companion were allegedly “accosted in the parking lot by individuals purported to be male MSU supporters who allegedly climbed on the hood of her car to get the vin number. These men were allegedly upset that they were being filmed by the woman at a recently concluded MSU event.

•    In May 2008, a non Jewish Student Journalist allegedly had a camera thrust in his face by a purported MSU Member.

•    In May 2008, a student Journalist alleged that he was told not to film MSU female members by a senior campus official because it was allegedly upsetting the male Muslim students. MSU supporters routinely photograph people at their events with impunity.

•    In May 2008, students reported an attempt by senior campus officials to allegedly inhibit Jewish students from carrying protest placards on a sidewalk adjacent to an MSU speaker. The officials cited “fire safety” as the reason; meanwhile the sidewalk on the immediate opposite side was clogged by a bus load of visiting students, who had stopped to view the commotion.

•    In May 2008, concern was raised that MSU has been allowed to utilize its own members as “security” at its’ controversial and inflammatory events.

•    When asked about the relatively small number of campus police in attendance at large, often inflammatory MSU events, a senior campus police officer explained that “lack of funds” from the University was the reason. The officer complained that “several years ago an officer was injured at one of these events”.

•    Recently, the UC Irvine Anthill Pub prominently displayed a photograph of Amir Malik Ali.   Some of Malik Ali’s most notable statements made during his hateful speeches at UCI:
“The truth of the matter is your days are numbered. We will fight you. We will fight you until we are either martyred or until we are victorious.”  “They [Jews] think they are superman, but we, the Muslims, are kryptonite. They [Jews] know that their days are numbered.”

•    A Jewish student was quoted as saying the campus situation is sometimes “intense and hostile.” This student claims said that he wont “go around wearing a Jewish star because you never know what is going to happen.”

•    According to recently obtained documentation, MSU received $6,500 from Associated Students of UCI for “Palestine Awareness Week”.  The MSU sponsored hate speakers Amir Abdel Malik Ali, Imam Muhammad al Asi and noted Holocaust denier Norman Finkelstein.  Many campus student groups regularly receive funding for their particular programs; however there is no evidence to demonstrate that any groups other than MSU use such funds to promote programs featuring incendiary and hateful speakers.
•    According to the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is currently investigating alleged incidents of anti-Semitic harassment, intimidation and discrimination that occurred in May 2007 at UCI. This is the second Title VI investigation initiated by ZOA on behalf of Jewish students at UCI. The first complaint was initiated in 2004.

Anyone in the community with knowledge of, or who has witnessed acts of anti-Semitism at UCI, is encouraged to contact the Task Force:

Jan Mark Dudman Esq., President
Robert L. Winer M.D., Executive vice-President
Ted Bleiweis, Executive Director

OC Task Force Investigation Finds Anti-Semitism at University of California, Irvine and Reviews Findings of DOE’s Office for Civil Rights

Dowload the Full OC Independent Task Force Report

Huntington Beach, CA –February 12, 2008 –The Orange County Independent Task Force released its Findings and Recommendations (Report), concerning alleged incidents of anti-Semitism at The University of California, Irvine (UCI). The investigation began in February 2007 and lasted approximately one year. Over the course of the investigation Task Force members interviewed, students, faculty and community members and visited the campus on many occasions. Over 80 hours of interviews and numerous documents, articles, and written complaints were used in the compilation of the Report.

Among its findings, The Task Force investigation has concluded the following:

• The existence of: physical and verbal harassment, hate speech directed at Jews by guest speakers, hate events sponsored by the Muslim Student Union (MSU), disruptive behavior on the part of Muslim students when pro-Israeli speakers appear on campus, anti-Israeli classroom environments, and an unresponsive, if not a hostile, administration.

• Hate speakers have targeted “Zionist Jews” at MSU events; that MSU has defiled Jewish symbols, often using depiction of anti-Semitic stereotypes; and that Jewish students were targets of intimidation.

• There has been a lack of response by the administration that has selectively enforced University rules and regulations.

• The Chancellor has refused to unequivocally condemn anti-Semitic speech although other college/university presidents have spoke clearly and decisively against this form of hate speech.

• For the most part, Jewish organizations in Orange County have been ineffective in dealing with anti-Semitism at UCI.

Some of the major recommendations include: UCI should be held accountable for its actions and inaction by community leaders, Jewish organizations, and donors. Students with a strong Jewish identity should consider not attending UCI until tangible changes are made. The Board of Regents should investigate the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs in his capacity as an impartial arbiter of University Rules and Regulations.

The Task Force had initially decided to release its Report and Recommendations in December 2007. The release was delayed in order to study the report(s) issued by the United States Department of Education Office, Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

On November 30, 2007, (OCR) issued two reports contained in separate letters written to Dr. Michael V. Drake, Chancellor of UCI, and to Ms. Susan B. Tuchman of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA). ZOA initiated the complaint in 2004 on behalf of students at UCI. These two letter/findings are not identical and do not contain exactly the same listed allegations. The reason why OCR issued two separate letter/findings is unclear. For example, the letter to Ms. Tuchman deals with a total of 26 allegations while the letter to Chancellor Drake deals with only 13 allegations.

In addition:

• Certain allegations were dismissed because they were not “related to the national origin of any of the Jewish students who complained”.

• Several other allegations were dismissed as “untimely filed”.

• The University was excused from any wrongdoing based on minimal action it did after these events occurred.

• Key administration figures were not interviewed by OCR investigators until late September 2006, nearly two years after the initial complaint was filed by ZOA on October 11, 2004.

The OCR investigation does not deny that these “allegations” of anti-Semitism occurred. In fact, OCR’s investigation and report(s) substantiates this Task Force’s findings that significant anti-Semitic activities have existed UCI for some period of time and that, while the University administration may not have done anything illegal in this regard, the University has done little if anything, except for token actions after each incident, to help prevent, discourage, curtail or punish the perpetrators of these anti-Semitic activities on campus.

Report delayed to review OCR findings

Independent Task force to delay release of final report

Huntington Beach, CA, December 12, 2007- In light of the release of findings from the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights (OCR), The Orange County Independent Task Force has decided to delay issuance of its final report pending review the OCR findings, as well as to study recent information and testimony that it has obtained. The Independent Task Force anticipates release its report and recommendations early in 2008.

The Independent Task Force was formed early in 2007 to investigate alleged incidents of anti-Semitism at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The goal of the Independent Task Force is issue a thorough and objective report with findings and recommendations to the community and to the UCI administration.

OC Task Force announces new members; UCI officials “unable to participate” in investigation of alleged incidents of anti-Semitism at UC Irvine.

Contact Information:

Ted Bleiweis, Interview Committee Chairman, tedblei@gmail.com,

For Immediate Release:

OC Task Force announces new members; UCI officials “unable to participate” in investigation of alleged incidents of anti-Semitism at UC Irvine.
Huntington Beach, CA, November 6, 2007 – The Orange County Independent Task Force on Anti-Semitism and Racism, announced today the addition of its newest members: Reverend Jim Belcher of Redeemer’s Church, Newport Beach, CA; Rabbi Mordecai Kieffer of Temple Beth Emet, Anaheim, CA; Rabbi Abba Perelmuter of Shul by the Shore, Long Beach, CA; and Rabbi Mark S. Miller of Temple Bat Yahm, Newport Beach, CA.

The Independent Task Force is continuing its investigation of a growing number of alleged incidents of anti-Semitism at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The Task Force is comprised of various academic, professional, and religious leaders who are compiling data and interviewing a wide-range of people, including students, faculty and community members who can provide insight into conditions and circumstances at UCI.
Independent Task Force members were disappointed when they received a letter earlier this year from UCI Chief Campus Council informing the Task Force that UCI officials including the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and others would be “…unable to participate in your investigation…” An ongoing federal investigation into allegations of anti-Semitism at UC Irvine by the U.S Department of Educations office for Civil Rights was cited as one reason for UCI officials not to participate in the Independent Task Force investigation.
The U.S. Department of Educations investigation was initiated by a complaint filed by the Zionist Organization of America in October 2004. That complaint was filed on behalf of Jewish students at UCI, under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to Title VI, federal funding recipients are required to ensure that their programs and activities are free from racial and ethnic harassment and intimidation, or face the risk losing their federal funding.
The goal of the Independent Task Force is to issue a thorough and objective report, with findings and recommendations made to the community and UCI administration.

Task Force formed to Investigate Alleged Racism and Anti-Semitism at UC Irvine

Hillel Foundation of Orange County to organize Academic, Professional, and Religious leaders to Formulate Recommendations

 

Irvine, CA, February 13, 2007 – The Hillel Foundation of Orange County today announced the formation of Task Force to study and investigate alleged incidents of racism and anti-Semitism at the University of California – Irvine (UCI). This comes as the result of the growing number of reported anti-Semitic incidents occurring on campus in recent years. The most recent incident occurred on Wednesday evening, January 31 st
,
when about 50 individuals, the majority of whom were reportedly members of UCI’s Muslim Student Union (MSU) abruptly stood up and disrupted a Hillel-sponsored presentation by Daniel Pipes, Ph.D. Dr. Pipes, a noted scholar on Israel and the Middle East and director of the Middle East Forum, is also a distinguished visiting professor at Pepperdine University, and prize- winning columnist for such newspapers as the New York Sun, Jerusalem Post, and L’Opinione. The goal of this select Task Force is to issue a thorough and objective report, with findings and recommendations made to the community and UCI administration by year’s end. The Task Force will be comprised of various academic, professional, and religious leaders. Interviews will be conducted with students, alumni, faculty members and administration, as well as individual Jewish and non-Jewish organizations and community members regarding their campus
experiences.

The Hillel Foundation of Orange County is a local chapter of the international organization Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life (www.Hillel.org) providing religious, cultural, educational, social programs, job placement, career & academic counseling, and referral service to Jewish students on OC college campuses.

Anyone in the community with knowledge of, or who has witnessed acts of racism or anti-Semitism at UCI, is encouraged to contact the Task Force though Hillel’s Executive Director Jeffrey Rips or Ted Bleiweis at 949-435-3444 ext. 276 or taskforce@OCHillel.org.