OC Register: UCI deals with claims of anti-Semitism

Posted March 10, 2008

Here's an interesting quote from Mark LeVine, UCI tenured History Department Professor of the Modern Middle East, from the article below:

UCI Professor Mark LeVine...said he tried to mediate between the two student groups, but gave the task up as hopeless.

"The only thing that would satisfy the critics now would be if they expelled every Muslim student and painted stars of David on all the buildings,"

More interesting quotes from this article to come.

Link to Article

June 10, 2007
UCI deals with claims of anti-Semitism

Officials say blogs and outside groups make divide between Jewish and Muslim students seem wider than it is.
By MARLA JO FISHER
The Orange County Register

IRVINE – A young man in a turban, his face covered, marches around UC Irvine with signs saying "Death to Infidels. Death to Israel" during a week of campus demonstrations by Muslim students.

Here's the catch: He's not Muslim. In fact, he's not even a student at UCI.

Instead, he's one of many outsiders who have become embroiled in a campus war of words between a small number of Jewish and Muslim students.

Was he aware that passers-by might actually think he was a terrorist?

"Of course," said Max Gibson, 27, a self-proclaimed Zionist who lives in San Diego and is affiliated with a college Republican group. "It was to make people think."

Gibson's masquerade, authentic enough to spur campus police to disarm him of fake bombs strapped to his body, is an example of how real events at UC Irvine have spun off into their own sometimes fictional existence, spawning street theater and reverberating worldwide on dozens of blogs.

Events at UC Irvine are no different than at many other schools. A recent University of California study found 85 percent of UCI students agreed there was respect for all students, regardless of race or religion – roughly the same percentage as at other UC campuses.

Yet UCI has achieved a blog-inspired reputation for anti-Semitism – a notoriety that many campus observers say is unfair and unwarranted.

"A lot of the blogs distort facts and take things out of context," said Alex Chazen, president of Hillel: The Jewish Student Union at UC Irvine. "Many of the bloggers aren't on our campus and don't even know what's going on."

One of the most ardent bloggers and complainants about campus anti-Semitism, according to Dean of Students Sally Peterson, has not only already graduated from UCI but applied to and attended graduate school here.

UCI officials say they spend hundreds of hours each month trying to answer allegations that the they ignore anti-Semitic activities on campus.

Chancellor Michael Drake has met with religious leaders and spoken at synagogues and mosques trying to convince attendees that that the university should maintain a policy of free speech toward all campus groups.

Student discord over Israeli policies

The main source of discord among students is over the state of Israel's policies toward Palestinians in contested territories.

Like other campus groups around the country, the Muslim Student Union regularly invites inflammatory speakers who decry Israeli policies and go so far as to say that the state of Israel should not exist. The speakers use words deliberately designed to provoke strong reactions, like calling Israelis "the new Nazis."

Jewish students have also invited controversial speakers, one of whom said that "Palestinians must have their will crushed."

While these controversial speakers make the national circuits of college campuses – one recently spoke at Long Beach State with little fanfare – at UCI they seem to attract particular attention, particularly during the annual week when the Muslim students have a demonstration that includes construction of a mock "Palestine wall."

Jewish students also hold their own pro-Israel week on campus each year, as well as passing out flyers from their own booth during the Muslim events.

During Muslim student demonstrations, Chazen said the campus is an uncomfortable place for Jewish students. "The events put on by the MSU are definitely anti-Semitic," Chazen said.

The rest of the year, he said, "It's just like anywhere else."

Drake, who is scheduled to give the keynote speech June 28 at the American Jewish Committee's National Human Relations Award Dinner, has been criticized for resisting calls from Jewish leaders to repudiate specific speeches or speakers.

Drake said that, while he personally abhors "hate speech," he believes in the principles of academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas. He also pointed out that the most controversial speakers are invited by student clubs, not the university, and officials are prevented by law from banning such events.

Faculty members involved in the issue say students should be able to hear all sides of an issue, even if its one they find disturbing.

"We prepare students here to be adults," said Professor Scott Bollens, who is involved in the university's "Difficult Dialogues" project to promote harmony. "If we shut off debate, we treat them like little kids who can't be trusted with disagreements. That would just make them passive and mute pawns."

Chazen said the blogs have stirred up support for Jewish students on campus, but also annoy him when he goes home to visit his family.

"I get asked, 'Is UCI really a terrorist training ground?'" Chazen said, groaning. "That kind of thing doesn't do much good for us. I wish it was interesting to read about all the good Jewish students are doing, unfortunately it's more interesting to read about poor little Jewish students getting beat up by Muslim kids."

Media consultant Rod Mitchell, who lives in Houston, Texas, sent out a press release recently with the headline, "Why is there so much anti-Semitism on the UC Irvine campus?"

Mitchell's press release, promoting a pro-Israel event, claimed that UCI's Muslim Student Union "spews terror and hatred, preaching a Jihad against all Jews."

When contacted, Mitchell said he had no firsthand knowledge about "terror and hatred" at the Irvine campus.

"I'm just reading the information on the student blogs they're sending us," Mitchell said.

To keep tabs on the issue, UCI's Free Speech and Advocacy Team sends between five and 10 administrators to monitor every potentially controversial event. While the university doesn't legally have the right to control speakers, the team can and does intervene to keep the peace or halt disruptions by other groups.

Team members escorted a rabbi from Long Beach away from a Muslim speaking event last month.

When Muslim students disrupted a speech by an inflammatory anti-Muslim speaker earlier this year, shouting "Anti-Israel, anti-Hate," they quickly moved outside to avoid being forced to leave by campus officials.

Pro-Israeli blogs later described the peaceful incident, which lasted about 90 seconds, as being staged by "Islamist thugs" and "budding terrorists."

Members of the Muslim Student Union say they don't preach hatred against Jews, but they do criticize Israeli policies toward Palestine.

Club spokeswoman Marya Bangee acknowledged that her group has invited provocative speakers but that members are not personally anti-Semitic.

"People see Israel as part of their religious identity and say, 'They are attacking our religion instead of having a political debate,' " Bangee said. "But the way the Zionists on campus treat people speaking out against Israel is way worse. A woman once shouted out that Islam is an evil religion. Without a doubt we never said anything like that."

'American Idol: Jihad Edition'

Rabbi Yonah Bookstein, a Long Beach resident who's affiliated with the Hillel at California State University Long Beach, recently reported on his blog that "the frenzy of hate and pro-Jihad sentiment runs so high, it overflows into full-scale intimidation, harassment and even assault" at UCI.

Bookstein didn't appear frightened when he cheerfully invited a reporter to "watch our street theater" a few minutes before he staged the "American Idol: Jihad Edition," a counter-demonstration that disrupted a Muslim speaking event last month. The event later appeared on YouTube.com.

On another day, Bookstein came to a Muslim speaking event and passed out fliers dressed as a clown.

In an interview, Rabbi Yonah, as he's known, said Jewish students on campus "are in great need of help and support."

"I've gotten supportive mails from around the world," Bookstein said. "I am a constant voice to point out injustice and hatemongering."

The issue has become heated enough for the campus New University newspaper to publish an editorial in March entitled "UCI Anti-Semitism Distorted" and for the faculty senate to hold a rally to demonstrate campus tolerance.

"It also becomes apparent from the average age of attendees that the target audience of such speeches is not the average UCI student … but a strange smattering of Orange County residents that have nothing better to do than to see their conflicts played out through students," the editorial in New University read.

'At our paper, we've been called both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim'

UCI student Ben Ritter, the paper's editor, said he didn't think UCI was any more anti-Semitic than anywhere else.

"People who are very devout Muslim or Jewish both tend to perceive they are being persecuted by the other side, but most people just ignore it," Ritter said. "I just got a letter to the editor that seemed to be saying more needs to be done about the prevalent anti-Muslim feelings on campus. At our paper, we've been called both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim."

Even legislators have been drawn into the debate.

Assemblyman Chuck Devore, R-Irvine, said in May he was approached by "a few students at UCI who feel the environment of fear and hatred is growing out of control on that campus."

Devore said that leaders with the Jewish Anti-Defamation League told him "UCI has the dubious distinction of being in the top handful of campuses in America for anti-Semitism."

The assemblyman said students asked him to look into "two former students at UCI who are Jewish who claim they left UCI because of the atmosphere that fosters hate."

UCI officials say that no students have left the campus due to anti-Semitism.

"I think I would know about that," said Peterson, whose office reviews and investigates every harassment complaint.

Peterson said the controversy has been kept alive by a handful of students on either side of the issue – and that she gets complaints about unfair treatment from both sides.

"In my opinion, there are maybe five people trying to control and orchestrate this whole thing," Peterson said.

UCI Professor Mark LeVine, a Middle East scholar who once wanted to become a rabbi, said he tried to mediate between the two student groups, but gave the task up as hopeless.

"The only thing that would satisfy the critics now would be if they expelled every Muslim student and painted stars of David on all the buildings," said LeVine, whose criticism of Israeli policies has caused some critics to dub him as a "self-hating Jew."

Outside groups get involved

Jewish students are also supported and encouraged by outside advocacy groups such as the Zionist Organization of America and Stand With Us, "an international education organization that ensures that Israel's side of the story is told," according to its Web site.

On a typical day during the Muslim students' protest week, paid staff members from several advocacy organizations visit the campus to observe the events.

"It's not just student groups initiating things, but students responding to outside groups," Bollens said. "That's why there's energy on this conflict. I think, left to their own accord, left to be students in a university interacting in their own classes or public forums without outside groups, they would over time agree to disagree, or be more moderate and civil about things."

Bollens, whose academic expertise is studying polarized religious groups around the world, said "UCI is not an anti-Semitic place" and added that he thinks community groups should be welcome on campus, along with everyone else.

Sometimes, officials said, the stories of anti-Semitism are simply fiction.

A young man reported to his father in 2004 that he was being harassed and assaulted for being a Jewish UCI student, leading the infuriated dad to e-mail campus authorities and castigate them for doing nothing.

"My son has been assaulted both physically and verbally on campus," the father wrote in an e-mail, adding that "it appears campus security takes no action."

On further investigation, concerned UCI officials had to report to the boy's father that he wasn't a harassed student, in fact, he wasn't a UCI student at all. He was not then, nor had he ever been, enrolled at UCI. Campus officials were surprised, however, to learn that the young man has now applied to enroll at the campus for fall 2007.

Max Gibson, the San Diego resident who marched in a turban around UCI, e-mailed a campus administrator on May 22 that he was "at UC Irvine campus, and as a young Jewish Republican, I am so, so, so enraged."

Gibson went on to say that he had "been spit on, received death threats and been insulted heavily this last week."

In an interview with the Register, Gibson, who is not a UCI student, repeated his allegations that he was spit on and threatened.

Campus police have a different version of the tale, saying that Gibson recanted when asked to discuss the threats.

According to a memo in which Assistant Police Chief Jeff Hutchison recalled the conversation, Gibson said, "I'm really sorry, but I embellished a bit"

"He said that no one had actually threatened his life, but four MSU students told him they would have their friends take care of me," Hutchinson reported that Gibson told him. "I said, "So you do not believe your life is in danger or that anyone is planning to kill you?" Mr. Gibson replied, "No, no. Not at all." I asked Mr. Gibson about the spitting incident and he said that the spit from the MSU student's mouths, who he argued with, would land on him as they argued. I asked him if he wished to file a formal crime report on any of these incidents. He declined to do so."

Swastika incident

According to the campus police, a widely reported incident where swastikas were sprayed on campus was actually a protest against university police who broke up a loud party.

The swastikas were sprayed from a paint can found near the party site, and vulgar expressions that accompanied the swastikas made it clear they were directed toward the "fascist" actions of the university, not a racial slur, police chief Paul Henisey said.

While UCI officials and faculty have been trying to combat the growing perception that the campus is anti-Semitic, the attacks are becoming increasingly vitriolic.

UCI's Dean of Students Sally Peterson kept one of many letters she's received on the topic from other people outside the campus.

"Since you promote Jew-hating Islamic garbage, you are clearly a worthless Nazi …," one letter read.

Jewish student population growing

So is UCI "notoriously anti-Semitic," as one blogger claims?

"Depending on who you talk to, you get a different answer," said Hillel president Chazen, who was formerly president of Anteaters for Israel. "There are two or three student groups who put on events that are anti-Semitic, but I really don't think the administration is to blame. They put just as many checks on the MSU (Muslim Student Union) as anybody else. In fact, the MSU just filed a complaint saying they were treated unfairly. In my years I've been here, I've been treated with nothing but respect." Tareef Nashashibi, a Muslim whose son is a UCI student, said "people should stick their noses out of UCI's business."

"If people are going to start dictating what speakers come in and don't come in, we might as well go live in the Soviet Union," Nashashibi said. "Let them hear all sides of the spectrum and make up their own minds."

UCI administrators said that, although anti-Semitism is not a big problem on campus, they're concerned stories on the blogosphere will discourage Jewish students from applying.

According to Hillel President Chazen, it hasn't happened yet.

In fact, Chazen said, UCI has more Jewish students now than ever before, about 800 to 1,000, and a growing membership in its Jewish fraternities and sororities.

"We've had a steady increase in students accepting their admittance to UCI," Chazen said. "If Jewish students are really concerned, then they should come here and increase our numbers."

Contact the writer: 714-796-7994 or mfisher@ocregister.com