UCLA Task Force Report on Anti-Semitism

In February 2024, UCLA set up an anti-Semitism task force to study the problem of anti-Semitism on campus and make recommendations. That report has just been issued, and it is highly critical of how UCLA handled the post-October 7, 2023 developments. Campus Reform has the story.

After going through the report, I found only two references to Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). One was where it identified SJP, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and UC Divest as organizers of the spring pro-Palestinian campus encampment, while the other mentioned that SJP had called for an October 7, 2024 protest in which masks were required (in violation of campus regulations). Other than that, the report really fails to address who the perpetrators of campus anti-Semitism are. It does identify the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the main source of the anti-Semitism. The report also makes the requisite references to Islamophobia and anti-Muslim, anti-Arab bias, a separate issue. Among all the charts, the surveys, anecdotal testimonies of Jewish students, and shocking examples of anti-Jewish incidents on campus, including photos, the report fails to address the perpetrators.

And just who are the perpetrators? Clearly, they are pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel students, faculty, and outside agitators. They are not Nazis. Nor are they KKK or white nationalist types. They are largely, but not exclusively, Muslim students, including Palestinian students (some Palestinians are Christians, but most are Muslim). Are all Muslim students involved in this problem? No, but many are. In addition, the perpetrators have their leftist followers from other faiths, including some extremely misguided Jews (who have joined groups like SJP or JVP).

What about the role of the leftist National Lawyers Guild (NLG), who act as “legal observers” for the SJP rallies as well as their disruptions. A classic example of the “red-green” alliance, a marriage of convenience between Islamists and the extremist left in America. They participated in the UCLA encampment saga.

So I wonder how the recommendations will be implemented. Clearly, sensitivity training will not solve the problem. Strengthening enforcement measures will. What I suggest is this:

1 Ban Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) from the campus permanently.

2 Advise students in no uncertain terms that acts of anti-Semitism will not be tolerated. That includes vandalism, disruption of pro-Israel events, and physical or verbal intimidation of Jewish students. The penalty will be expulsion-not suspension-but expulsion. As for faculty who participate in unauthorized or illegal acts on campus in support of the above, they will be fired. An example would be any professor who was arrested at campus encampments, as occurred at some other universities.

3 If criminal acts are committed in the name of supporting Palestinians, the police will arrest and refer the cases to prosecutors.

4 Make it clear to all that the university will not divest or engage in any anti-Israel boycotts. Such resolutions to student governments are a waste of time.

5 Many university law schools have affiliations with the NLG. These should be discontinued.

I would hope that every UCLA student and professor read the report (with all its weaknesses). It appears that as yet, the Daily Bruin campus newspaper has not reported on the task force report, which is dated October 16. I have sent the link to the Daily Bruin in a comment to an article dealing with the campus conflict.