A recent incident at the University of California, Berkeley has sparked controversy and raised concerns over antisemitism on campus. Jewish students wearing Israeli flags were reportedly assaulted, leading to accusations of hate crimes and a lawsuit against the university. The attacks have drawn attention to ongoing tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups at U.C. Berkeley.
According to Hannah Schlacter, a graduate student at Berkeley, the assaults against Jewish students wearing Israeli flags were targeted and motivated by their Jewish identities. Schlacter described the incidents as hate crimes and criticized the university for not investigating them as such. She also expressed frustration with what she perceived as a lack of enforcement of policies protecting Jewish students on campus.
Videos reviewed as part of a lawsuit filed by the Brandeis Center and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education show assailants attempting to forcibly take Israeli flags from students, shoving and cursing at them in the process. One video captures a student being struck in the head with a metal water bottle by a protester wearing a traditional Palestinian headdress.
The lawsuit accuses the University of California Board of Regents, Berkeley Law, and the university president of allowing the unchecked spread of antisemitism on campus. It argues that courts must intervene to protect the civil rights of Jewish students and faculty and put an end to discriminatory and harassing behavior.
The university spokesperson, Dan Mogulof, responded to the allegations by stating that the university takes the incidents seriously and offers support to the affected student. He denied claims of mishandling harassment claims and stated that if evidence suggests that the incidents were hate crimes, they will be treated as such.
Both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrations have taken place on the U.C. Berkeley campus since the October 7 attacks. Counter-protests and clashes have occurred during these demonstrations, further exacerbating tensions between the two groups.
The lawsuit also highlights additional incidents of antisemitism on campus, including disruptions of a Jewish student group’s prayer service and the blocking of the main entrance to the school by pro-Palestinian advocates. Vandalism featuring antisemitic messages has also been reported.
The incidents at U.C. Berkeley are not isolated, as other universities have faced similar scrutiny over allegations of antisemitism. The Department of Education has launched Title VI discrimination investigations into Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, and the University of Pennsylvania since October 7.
The U.C. Berkeley campus has been under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education since December 2022 due to allegations of Title VI violations related to the exclusion of pro-Israel speakers on campus. The recent incidents have further fueled concerns about a “hostile environment” for Jewish students.
In response to these concerns, University of California President Michael V. Drake, M.D. has announced system-wide initiatives aimed at improving campus climate and student support in light of recent events in Israel and Gaza.
The allegations of antisemitism at U.C. Berkeley raise important questions about the protection of students’ civil rights and the responsibility of universities to address and prevent discrimination on campus. The lawsuit filed by the Brandeis Center and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education seeks to bring attention to these issues and ensure a safer and more inclusive environment for Jewish students at U.C. Berkeley.
Overall, the incidents at U.C. Berkeley have sparked a heated debate about antisemitism on campus and the university’s response to such incidents. The outcome of the lawsuit and the actions taken by the university in response to these allegations will likely have significant implications for the future of Jewish students at U.C. Berkeley and beyond.
