Israel-Boycott Debate Spurs Fight Over Definition of ‘Anti-Semitism’
Allegations of anti-Semitism leveled at advocates of economic
sanctions against Israel have spurred a fight over how colleges should
define speech that victimizes Jewish students. Some Jewish groups want
colleges to use a definition of anti-Semitism crafted by the U.S. State
Department, but many critics of Israel argue that the State Department’s
definition is too expansive and covers statements about Israel that
should be considered fair game.
More than 100 faculty members at the University of California on
Monday urged the university system’s administration and Board of Regents
to adopt the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism,
which includes speech that demonizes Israel, compares Israel’s policies
to the policies of the Nazi Germany, holds Israel to standards not
applied to other democratic nations, or denies Israel’s right to exist.
The letter to the university system’s top officials says the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict “is a prime motivator of the anti-Jewish
expression that has infected our campuses and led to the verbal and
physical intimidation and harassment of many Jewish students.” Alleging
that the University of California’s campuses “are rapidly acquiring the
reputation of being among the most anti-Semitic in the nation,” the
letter urges the university’s board and campus chancellors “to speak out
and act forcefully.”
