The California Assembly’s Higher Education Committee unanimously approved a resolution (SCR-35) on Tuesday condemning antisemitism on California college campuses.
Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Temecula), who authored the bill, introduced the measure following a series of events on University of California campuses that targeted Jewish students. One such event took place at UC Davis where swastikas were spray painted onto a Jewish fraternity just days after the school’s student council voted to endorse divestment from Israel.
The measure urges each University of California campus to adopt a similar resolution condemning all forms of antisemitism and racism.
According to the Los Angles Times, the committee voted 8-0 to pass the measure, which was approved by the state Senate in May. It will now head to the general Assembly for a final vote of approval.
“We have seen on too many campuses throughout the state of California the surge of hatred, bigotry and specifically, antisemitism in patterns that we haven’t seen in decades,” said former Assembly Speaker and a UC regent John Pérez (D-Los Angeles), according to the Times.
UC Berkeley graduate student David McCleary reportedly showed up at the hearing in opposition to the resolution suggesting it “threatens” his ability as a graduate instructor by “limiting” what he and his colleagues can say about Israel and Palestine in the classroom, notes the Times. Yet, Sen. Stone expressed throughout the hearing that there will be no limiting of anyone’s free speech rights and pointed out that the word Israel does not once appear in the resolution.
Coverage of some recent antisemitic incidents on UC campuses can be found below:
- UC Davis: “Not a Great Week to be a Jewish Student on Campus”
- UCLA: Student Government Candidate Attacked for Being Jewish
- Muslim Students Shout “Allahu Akbar“ at Jews at UC Davis
- Antisemitism, Again: UC Riverside Approves Anti-Israel Course
- UC Students Vote to Divest From Israel—And America
- Stanford Student Files Complaint After Jewish Faith Questioned
- “Grout Out the Jews“: More Anti-Jewish Vandalism at UC Davis
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