Bruins for Israel fight back against anti-Semitic onslaught
UCLA students Miriam Eshaghian and David Nusbaum undoubtedly looked forward to spending an enjoyable and enriching four years on one of America’s elite campuses. But rather than soaking up the rarefied atmosphere, the two Jewish students and many more like them have found themselves on the receiving end of incessant vicious hostility. Virtually from day one of the school year, the anti-Semitic group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) have pummeled the campus with attacks on the Jewish State and her supporters. Apartheid walls, posters glorifying terrorists, an anti-Israel divestment resolution, mock checkpoints and anti-Semitic speakers have all marred the atmosphere at California’s flagship University.
Daniel Mael, a student who reports on anti-Israel extremism for Truth Revolt responded to SJP’s claim that they are pro-Palestine, not anti-Jewish. He said today in an interview with Megyn Kelly of Fox News “They can continue to lie that it’s about Israel or specific policies but they were claiming today that Israel needs to be wiped off the map, they said that the Zionist state needs to be torn down.” He added “it’s funny that people call them Pro-Palestine, they are not pro-Palestine, they are simply anti-Semitic.”
While most Jewish students on hostile campuses tend to try to keep their heads low while counting down the days until graduation, the students of UCLA have had enough. The recent effort by SJP to stigmatize Jewish leaders for taking trips to Israel, seems to have been the last straw. Bruins for Israel released a statement today demanding an end to the brazen Jew hatred that has become the norm on their campus.
As the representatives of Bruins for Israel, we officially express our disdain for and unequivocal denunciation of anti-Israel hate speech, biased and unethical pledges, and attacks on members of the Jewish and pro-Israel communities that have occurred at UCLA in recent months.
The group documented a list of falsehoods that have been peddled by SJP activists on their campus such as claims that …
- Israelis deliberately shoot Palestinian children in the face.
- Israel is guilty of genocide against Palestinians.
- Israel sterilized and mutilated Ethiopian immigrants as a form of eugenics.
- Violence against Israelis is justified
Images designed to intimidate. Mock Apartheid wall at UCLA depicts convicted terrorist Leila Khaled
The Bruins for Israel statement goes on to address the shocking SJP “ethics statement” that demands student leaders refrain from visiting the Jewish state.
We find the “ethics statement” released to potential student body representatives offensive and unethical. This hypocritical statement exclusively attacks the organized Jewish and pro-Israel communities at UCLA and insinuates that any association with Israel is dishonorable.
The students share the concern that…
As representatives of the organized Jewish and pro-Israel communities at UCLA, we see lies and hate speech as more than just a cause of discomfort. In the past, lies about the Jewish people have led directly to mass violence and oppression against us. The systematic promotion of egregious lies about the one Jewish state in the world cannot be divorced from this historical context.
The students conclude by calling for…
- The 2014-2015 UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) to denounce all forms of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism perpetuated at the divestment hearing and work towards ensuring civility and respect in future discourse about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- The 2014-2015 UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) to denounce the biased “ethics statement” and draft a new statement that works towards building understanding between communities rather than destroying campus climate.
- The UCLA Administration to take tangible steps to prioritize a positive campus climate and inclusive academic discourse for all.
Bruins for Israel asks all Current Bruins, Alumni, teachers and employees to sign the petition that follows their statement. The group has garnered nearly 1000 signatures since the petition was released less than 24 hours ago.
While it’s more than disturbing to watch our campuses transformed into bastions of Jew hatred, it is gratifying to see Jewish and pro-Israel students stepping up and fighting back. We have every reason to be proud.
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