American Universities Are Ignoring Concerns About Antisemitism

Dear President Hamilton and NYU Board Members: I am writing concerning the recent anti-semitic letter signed by 400 NYU faculty members. It's ironic that a group called "Faculty of Color for an anti-Racist NYU" signed a racist, anti-semitic, vile letter such as the one they presented to you. They open their letter (at https://antiracistnyu.medium.com/statement-of-solidarity-with-palestine-from-nyu-community-4af0bc4de295) with a lie, proclaiming Israel "has a long-standing record of settler colonial violence and dispossession" and then go on to accuse Israel -- the only democracy in the Middle East -- of racism. There are 200,000 black Africans who live in Israel. There are nearly 2 million Arabs with full Israeli citizenship.

There is an Arab, Muslim, Palestinian political party in the majority coalition making up the government of Israel. Clearly these faculty do not recognize a right to self-determination for Jews or Israelis. Thus, they are classic anti-semites who are uninterested in factual information regarding the Middle East. The letter from the NYU faculty then threatens the NYU administration as well as all pro-Israel and Jewish students and families at the school by saying:

"We pledge non-cooperation with the [NYU] Tel Aviv program". I have several questions related to their letter that I hope you will consider:

1) In light of this nasty, anti-semitic letter that demonizes Jewish and pro-Israel students, what will NYU continue to do to fight anti-semitic bigotry on your campus?

2) Why does NYU employ people who are so willing to demonize Jewish students, lie about Israel, and undermine the NYU administration? These employees would immediately be terminated if they were in the private sector because of disobedience, misinformation and anti-semitic bigotry.

3) Please continue to partner with Israel and the Tel Aviv program. I have not heard a response regarding your position on the 400 anti-Jewish faculty at NYU, or their letter.

Are Jewish students welcome to attend NYU, and, more importantly, will NYU foster a safe environment for them?

Sincerely,[YOUR NAME]

TO: andrew.hamilton@nyu.edu, john.beckman@nyu.edu, lynne.brown@nyu.edu, martin.dorph@nyu.edu, marc.wais@nyu.edu, katherine.fleming@nyu.edu, tracey.gardner@nyu.edu, ronald.abramson@bipc.com, joel.ehrenkranz@eplp.com, info@zegarff.org, larry.fink@blackrock.com, jeffrey@waxxtech.com, bev@beverlyhyman.com, DAKatz@wlrk.com, BLevine@ccrmny.com, blevine@ccrmivf.com, info@steinhardtfoundation.org, echesler@cravath.com

Dear Chancellor Conway and Rutgers Board members:

Last month, the Rutgers AAUP-AFT union and PTLFC-AAUP-AFT union -- representing full- and part-time lecturers at the university -- accused Israel of "apartheid" and called for the AFT union to boycott Israel. Their statements made other false, anti-semitic and inflammatory claims about the tiny state of Israel including that there is "legalized racial discrimination" in Israel.

These claims are not only false, but also anti-semitic in nature. These faculty members -- who are tasked with teaching young people the facts of history, geography, and the world -- do not recognize any right for Jewish self-determination.

They also accuse the tiny Jewish population in the world of committing crimes that Jews have never committed while repeating age-old anti-semitic blood libels against the tiny Jewish nation.

To make matters worse, in late May of 2021, the chancellor of Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Christopher J. Molloy, released a statement condemning antisemitism.

The next day, the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine group released a lengthy statement condemning the chancellor’s statement.

After this protest from SJP, a radical anti-semitic group, Chancellor Molloy released a second statement apologizing for the first, and promising to "make sure that our communications going forward are much more sensitive and balanced." This second letter of apology to the anti-Israel community was a slap in the face to Jewish and Israeli students, as well as the entire Rutgers community.

Clearly there are several very concerning events going on here that need to be addressed. I am writing to ask you:

1. Why did you apologize for condemning anti-semitism in your original statement?

2. Why do you persist in hiring anti-semitic zealots who do not recognize the ability for Jews to have self-determination in our indeginous and historic land?

3. What is your position on the ability for Jewish students and faculty to participate at Rutgers?

4. Will you communicate that position to the anti-semitic AAUP-AFT and PTLFC-AAUP-AFT unions?

5. If you support the ability for Jewish, Israeli and pro-Israel students to attend Rutgers without being harassed, what steps will you be taking to ensure their safety in the upcoming academic year and beyond?

These are important considerations for Jewish and Israeli students, families and community members. Certainly these concerns merit a response.

Thank you, [SIGN YOUR NAME]

TO: francine.conway@rutgers.edu, brian.ballentine@rutgers.edu, president@rutgers.edu, endovet@metrovet.com, michael.gower@rutgers.edu, secretary@oq.rutgers.edu, melillo@oq.rutgers.edu, mspiegel@business.rutgers.edu, rkbailey@wakehealth.edu, dburzichelli@rcgc.edu, mad467@drexel.edu, norman.edelman@stonybrookmedicine.edu, nimeshj@walgreensbootsalliance.com, amansue@barnabashealth.org, mary.papamarkou@hwcm.com, jrhodes@camdencounty.com, steven.temares@bedbath.com, edgar_torres@uml.edu, kate.sweeney@morganstanley.com, nbprovost@rutgers.edu enobong.branch@rutgers.edu, kdab@echo.rutgers.edu, ifulmer@smlr.rutgers.edu, salvador.mena@rutgers.edu, saundra.tomlinson-clarke@gse.rutgers.edu

Dear President Salovey and Board Members,

I am writing with great concern about the "Statement of Condemnation of Israel" passed by the Yale College Council. I tried to determine the names of the members of the Student Council so I could include them in this message, but their website says "Private" and does not allow public people to view their names.

The Jewish community believes the statement from the Yale College Council was anti-factual and anti-semitic in nature. It also puts Jewish students on campus in an extremely difficult situation. The statement accused the tiny Jewish population in Israel of genocide, ethnic cleansing, violating international law, stripping Palestinians of basic rights, and apartheid.

This type of incendiary language is a supreme embarrassment to Yale University. What kind of education have these students received about Jews and Israel? They accuse the tiny Jewish population of 6 million Jews who live in Israel of these great crimes, including apartheid and ethnic cleansing? On what basis do they make these claims, and where is their supported evidence in making such egregious accusations? I'm asking the Yale University Administration to clarify the following points:

1) Will you stand up for Jewish students at Yale University? Clearly the student government is targeting Jewish and Israeli students, as well as non-Jewish students who happen to be pro-Israel.

2) What steps are you taking to defend Jewish students at Yale against campus anti-semitism?

3) Will you put out a public statement condemning this anti-factual and anti-semitic statement from the student government?

4) Have you communicated your position to the student government so they are aware of what the administration/Board of Trustees' position is? Additionally, please note that nearly 5,000 individuals have signed a petition to "Condemn Yale College Council's Antisemitic Statement," which can be found at https://www.change.org/p/condemn-yale-college-council-s-antisemitic-statement Certainly this issue merits a response. I look forward to hearing what it is. [YOUR NAME]

TO: peter.salovey@yale.edu, alexander.dreier@yale.edu, scott.strobel@yale.edu, fas.dean@yale.edu, wkennard@velocitaspartners.com

Dear Chancellor May, President Drake and Board Members:

On May 16, five academic departments at UC-Davis collaborated on a public statement that condemned Israel for “state-sanctioned violence” and “anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism,” as well as repeating the old canards of “apartheid state,” “settler colonialism” and “systemic racism.”

These extreme views were endorsed by the following departments: Asian American studies, American studies, gender studies, African American studies, and French and Italian. Also signing on to the statement were three academic programs and 43 individual faculty.

What compels the African American and African Studies, Asian American Studies, American Studies, French and Italian, and Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Departments to make public and slanderous attacks on Israel? How is this germane to their educational missions? It has not escaped our notice that Israel is the only foreign nation to receive such negative treatment at UC Davis.

State law (Education Code, Title 3) prohibits the use of a formal UC connection to issue such endorsements, with violators guilty of a misdemeanor. Thus, the faculty (chairs, committees, voting members) responsible for the misappropriation of the university name can be subject to prosecution for this violation.

See, for example, the extremist statement at genderstudiespalestinesolidarity.weebly.com signed by the UC-Davis Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. There is an implication of official university endorsement for these bigoted and ignorant positions, violating Section 92000 of California state law.

The May 16 public statement by these academic departments is political advocacy, and a misuse of state funded University of California resources.

By no means can such public statements be considered the expression of First Amendment rights because they are employing an official University platform, such as a departmental website, to convey anti-semitic and anti-Israel positions.

In doing so, they only pick on the sole Jewish majority country in the world and ignore all other countries and perceived human rights abuses around the world. In other words, this is classic anti-semitism that is being funded by the taxpayers of the state of California.

What are you going to do about it?

[YOUR NAME]

TO: chancellor@ucdavis.edu, michael.drake@ucop.edu, akelman@ucdavis.edu, pgreguerin@ucdavis.edu, rgtull@ucdavis.edu, mfsweeney@ucdavis.edu, rblum@blumcapital.com, rhorwitz@ucsd.edu, michael.cohen@calpers.ca.gov, boschneeman@ucdavis.edu,jlim@oaktreecapital.com, roxy@progressiverep.com, roger@time4epi.com, marcia@guineapigcalendar.net, nancyshapiro@nancyshapiro.com,Debby@Debby4RHE.com, jay.weisbrod@fairwaymc.com, jsimon@ucdavis.edu, msubialka@ucdavis.edu, vardeni@ucdavis.edu, cbgoldstein@ucdavis.edu, esfreeman@ucdavis.edu, mcjerng@ucdavis.edu, lsuea@ucdavis.edu, ccgarcia@ucdavis.edu, grwang@ucdavis.edu, ssmin@ucdavis.edu, mbachman@ucdavis.edu, kolmsted@ucdavis.edu, emroczek@ucdavis.edu, cjkaplan@ucdavis.edu, rbbonilla@ucdavis.edu, jarbona@ucdavis.edu, anath@ucdavis.edu, ekohl@ucdavis.edu, esmoodin@ucdavis.edu, jemechling@ucdavis.edu, waho@ucdavis.edu,kdnettles@ucdavis.edu, asberghaus@ucdavis.edu, emfogleman@ucdavis.edu, dbbell@ucdavis.edu, ejowhite@ucdavis.edu, bdweber@ucdavis.edu, bngweno@ucdavis.edu, mfharrison@ucdavis.edu, madejunmobi@ucdavis.edu

Dear Chancellor Block, President Drake and Board of Trustees Members:

The Asian Studies Department at UCLA put out a statement "in solidarity with Palestine" on May 21. The statement was void of factual data and based on emotional slogans intended to provoke additional anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment. It still appears at the Asian American Studies department page for UCLA.

What compels the Asian American Studies Department to make a public and slanderous attacks on Israel? How is this germane to its educational mission? It has not escaped our notice that Israel, the only Jewish-majority country in the world, is the only foreign nation to receive such negative treatment at UCLA.

State law (Education Code, Title 3) prohibits the use of a formal UC connection to issue such endorsements, with violators guilty of a misdemeanor. Thus, the faculty (chairs, committees, voting members) responsible for the misappropriation of the university name are potentially subject to prosecution for this violation.

For many years now, UCLA has been one of the most dangerous university campuses in the country for Jewish students. This statement from the Asian Studies Department comes just two months after the UCLA student government passed a resolution encouraging the UC system to "divest from companies that allegedly profit off the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories".

The Jewish community is not going to relent on this issue. I am asking you:

1. That your administration condemns the Department of Asian American Studies Statement as nonreflective of your administration’s official viewpoints.

2. That your administration issues a statement acknowledging that for many individuals, Zionism is an integral part of their Jewish identity. This statement has been adopted already at many other campuses faced with such hateful activity, including recently at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.

3. That your entire faculty receive diversity and equity training on what constitutes anti-semitism and how best to protect against a hostile campus climate for Jewish students. We suggest that such training incorporate an understanding of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, the consensus international definition of antisemitism. We are also happy to recommend education providers who can conduct these trainings.

The May 21 public statement by the Asian American Studies Department at UCLA political advocacy, and a misuse of state funded University of California resources.

By no means can such public statements be considered the expression of First Amendment rights because they are employing an official University platform, such as a departmental website, to convey anti-semitic and anti-Israel positions.

[SIGN YOUR NAME]

TO: chancellor@ucla.edu, regentsoffice@ucop.edu, michael.drake@ucop.edu, schaberg@humnet.ucla.edu, ggoldman@conet.ucla.edu,

rheat@support.ucla.edu, foundation@support.ucla.edu, jsina@support.ucla.edu, barton@uclainvestments.org, jtabata@support.ucla.edu,

rblum@blumcapital.com, rhorwitz@ucsd.edu, michael.cohen@calpers.ca.gov, dhunt@college.ucla.edu, nmasuoka@ucla.edu,

vbascara@asianam.ucla.edu, lmburns@ucla.edu, kcamacho@ucla.edu, kpark@anthro.ucla.edu, loubnaqutami@g.ucla.edu,

rtajima@asianam.ucla.edu, mankekar@ucla.edu, elegandhi@ucla.edu, matsumot@history.ucla.edu, nguyenvo@humnet.ucla.edu,

jling@humnet.ucla.edu, gracehongucla@gmail.com, Cindy.Sangalang@luskin.ucla.edu, jjchun@asianam.ucla.edu, mzhou@soc.ucla.edu,

dkyoo@ucla.edu, leeann@ucla.edu, kumemoto@ucla.edu, joliechea@ucla.edu

To President Covino and Board of Trustees Members:

I am writing with concern about your appointment of Julianne Malveaux to the position of Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA.

Malveaux is a longtime supporter of Louis Farrakhan. An Anti-Defamation League fact sheet describes Farrakhan as “a notable extremist figure, railing against Jews, white people and the LGBT community."

The Nation of Islam leader has attributed "pedophilia and sexual perversion" in Hollywood to "Jewish influence," said that "powerful Jews are my enemy," and accused Jews of being responsible for the slave trade in the United States. Farrakhan in 2018 tweeted, "I'm not an anti-Semite. I'm anti-Termite."

During a public television appearance in 1994, Malveaux said of Justice Clarence Thomas: “I hope his wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early ... of heart disease.” In a 2018 column for the Birmingham Times, she wrote, “White people’s hatred for Minister Farrakhan is irrational and ... racist.”

A 2018 article in the Nation of Islam’s newspaper, the Final Call, quoted Malveaux as saying, “until these Jewish people who are running around asking Black people to buck dance, until they ask White people to buck dance, I ain’t having it! I’m just not having it!”

Many people have reached out regarding this appointment, yet you still have remained silent.

I am again asking you to address the following points:

1) Given your anti-semitic appointment, are Jews welcome to attend CSU-Los Angeles?

2) Why are the taxpayers of California being forced to finance this hateful and anti-semitic Dean's salary?

3) Rather than continue to ignore this issue, why not simply rescind your appointment and find a qualified candidate for the Dean of Ethnic Studies post?

I look forward to hearing your response.

[YOUR NAME]

TO: Bill.Covino@calstatela.edu, jcastro@calstate.edu, trusteesecretariat@calstate.edu, sthomas@calstate.edu, dconnors@calstate.edu,

mlavitt@calstate.edu, ptaylor@ecmc.org, LSimon@akonadi.org, romey.sabalius@sjsu.edu, imcgrory@limjm.com, doug@socalnews.com,

ladamson@midnightmission.org, JACK.CLARKE@BBKLAW.COM, ethnicstudiesla@calstatela.edu, tpham4@calstatela.edu, pas@calstatela.edu,

dolores.delgadobernal@calstatela.edu

Dear President Hrabowski and Vice President Young,

I am a concerned citizen writing about the biased, politically-charged university-affiliated Instagram posts on two University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) official Instagram accounts: the Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging (“i3b”) and The Women’s Center.

Both posts contain classic anti-semitic stereotypes often used by anti-Israel activists. Specifically, the i3b post contains a series of ten slides with a cover slide, “What You Can Do to Support Palestinians,” alongside a statement that the department joins those “grieving the loss of life and continued oppression of Palestinians at the hands of state-sanctioned violence, imperialism, and apartheid.” This dehumanizing and misleading rhetoric not only slanders Israel, but implicitly denies 3,000 years of Jewish history, identity, and rights in their ancestral homeland.

Likewise, The Woman’s Center’s post contains a quote comparing a black person’s struggle with that of a Palestinian’s with the tagline, “[i]t is time to make our way home,” and a statement that “[i]t is impossible for many of us to know the reality of being a Palestinian living in an occupied state maintained through the (often internationally sanctioned) violence of imperialism and white supremacy.”

“imperialism” and “white supremacy” are slanderous and dehumanizing terms which harm not only Israelis, but Jewish communities in the United States as well. Jews are not colonizers or imperialists in their own homeland. Nor are they “white supremacists” – an especially offensive slur considering that white supremacist ideology is built on genocidal antisemitism.

While campus administrative departments should never take sides in political disagreements that could ultimately marginalize their students based on components of identity, such as religion or national origin, the timing of these posts is especially concerning given the sharp rise in anti-semitic incidents throughout the country.

Campus administrative departments should not be leading a political debate that ostracizes your Jewish and Israeli students. As a result, I ask:

1. That your administration condemns these official administrative posts as nonreflective of your administration’s official viewpoints and have them immediately removed. We note that you recently issued such statements for UMBC’s Indian Community and UMBC’s Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities. Failure to treat your Jewish and Israeli students equally is wholly unacceptable and discriminatory.

2. That your administration issue a statement acknowledging that for many individuals, Zionism is an integral part of their Jewish identity. This statement has been adopted already at many other campuses faced with such hateful activity, including recently at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. This will go a long way toward making Jewish students feel protected and valued by their university.

3. That your entire faculty receive diversity and equity training this summer specifically on what constitutes antisemitism and how best to protect against a hostile campus climate for Jewish students. We suggest that such training incorporate an understanding of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (“IHRA”) Working Definition of Antisemitism, the consensus international definition of antisemitism. We are also happy to recommend education providers who can conduct these trainings.

4. That your administration issues a public statement condemning and rejecting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement against Israel. Student governments have a right to espouse hatred; you have a right—and an obligation—to condemn it. Other universities have done so, demonstrating moral clarity and leadership on this issue.

Please let me know what you plan to do about these posts.

[name & location]

TO: hrabowski@umbc.edu, nyoung@umbc.edu