Until now, protecting students from anti-Jewish and anti-Israel attack on U.C. campuses has not been easy, considering the wide berth universities give to the First Amendment and free speech rights.
With the University of California Board of Regents approval this week of its Principles Against Intolerance, which explicitly condemns “anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism,” that protection has been given important official backing.
In the works for months, the document and its introductory contextual statement outline the sorry history of recent acts on U.C. campuses, including vandalism of property belonging to Jewish students, social exclusion and challenging the candidacies of Jewish students running for student government.
It goes on to describe a systemwide policy prohibiting all forms of discrimination, stressing that anti-Semitism “has no place in the University.” While lacking explicit enforcement mechanisms, it further calls on campus leaders “actively to challenge anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination when and wherever they emerge” at the university.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly when it comes to the climate on campus, the document declares that “harassment, threats, assaults and vandalism” will not be tolerated, and that interference with the ability to “assemble, speak, and share or hear the opinions of others” will likewise not be tolerated.
While strongly defending First Amendment freedoms, notably by the last-minute clarification that it is “anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism” that are prohibited — and not legitimate political opposition — the principles may be used to check anti-Israel activists who routinely shout down pro-Israel speakers, who contemptuously refuse to engage in Jewish-Muslim dialogue, and who have allowed hatred for Israel to mutate into anti-Jewish poison.
Like anything created by committee, there is room for improvement in the document. As mentioned, it does not include any mechanism for enforcement, leaving that up to individual campuses.
Nevertheless we commend the Board of Regents for coming up with a document that does not avoid the obvious: Much of the anti-Israel activism on campus has crossed the line from legitimate criticism of the Israeli government to insidious forms of delegitimization and demonization of Israel and, more to the point, of Jews in general. We’re pleased the regents have realized that enough is enough.