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CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman 19 Odeh, stating that she was “honored to be on this stage with Rasmea.” Given Sarsour’s record, it’s hard to fathom how Milliken, CUNY’s trustees, Cuomo, and de Blasio failed to stop this documented bigot and hater from being given a prestigious podium at New York’s public university. CUNY would not have tolerated a commencement speaker with a history of bigotry toward African Americans, Hispanics, or LGBTQ individuals— nor should it.When it comes to anti Semitism, CUNY should be extra-vigilant. Just a short time ago, the ZOA documented the harassment and intimidation that Jewish students were enduring on four CUNY campuses, including crowds chanting “Jews out of CUNY” and “Death to Jews.” By honoring Sarsour, CUNY let down the new graduates and their families, who were entitled to a commencement speaker who modeled CUNY’s values of mutual respect, tolerance, and civility. CUNY also sent a terrible message to the university community: that anti-Semitic bigotry is acceptable and that those who have the power and authority to oppose it won’t. ZOA CONTINUES ITS FIGHT AGAINST ANTISEMITISM AT UCI Since 2004, the ZOA has been fighting for a safe and welcoming learning environment for Jewish students at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). In that year, ZOA filed a studentbacked civil rights complaint, alleging that the administration had failed to rectify anti-Semitic hostility in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Recently, there were glimmers of hope that UCI was finally serious about addressing campus anti-Semitism. In October 2016, Vice Provost Douglas Haynes issued a report entitled “Higher Ground: The Alignment of UCI’s Policies, Principles, and Practices with the UC Regents’ Principles Against Intolerance.” The report acknowledged the fear and feelings of ostracism that some Jewish students experienced at UCI, particularly regarding anti-Israel rhetoric on campus, and recommended steps to remedy these problems. Last November, the ZOA’s Susan Tuchman met with Haynes at Hillel International’s offices in Washington, D.C. They discussed the longstanding harassment and intimidation of Jewish students at UCI and how it could be effectively addressed. Given these positive developments, it was disappointing when, last May, UCI failed to take any action after SJP disrupted a campus program featuring Israel Defense Forces veterans, in violation of UCI rules. In a letter to UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, the ZOA documented SJP’s serial violations of UCI’s rules, its role in creating a hostile anti-Semitic environment, and its repeated disruption of Jewish and pro-Israel speakers and programs. The ZOA argued that after such a long pattern of egregious behavior, SJP’s registered status should be revoked—especially if UCI is committed to addressing the fear and feelings of ostracism that Jewish students have endured. To date, there is no evidence that UCI has imposed any consequences on SJP. Thus, UCI remains a campus where Jewish and pro-Israel students may feel neither safe nor welcome. In a letter to Chancellor Howard Gillman, the ZOA documented SJP’s serial violations of UCI’s rules, its role in creating a hostile, anti-Semitic environment, and its repeated disruption of Jewish and pro-Israel speakers and programs.


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