A Jewish fraternity at the University of California Davis was spray-painted with two swastikas Saturday, several days after the student council voted to endorse divestment from Israel.
The fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, had opposed the vote, which is part of a coordinated campaign by pro-Palestinian/anti-Israel activists across the University of California system.
CBS Sacramento reported that AEPi members believe their fraternity was attacked in retaliation for its support for Israel. The fraternity was attacked on the Jewish sabbath, shortly after the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Some activists claim AEPi staged the attack, the Times of Israel reports.Davis police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
The university administration released a statement on Facebook, stating in part:
This kind of behavior is not only repugnant and a gross violation of the values our university holds dear, it is unacceptable and must not be tolerated on our campus or anywhere else.
No matter what religious, political or personal beliefs we hold, as members of a university community we have an obligation to treat each other with respect and dignity, even when we disagree.
Nothing rivals a swastika as a more potent or offensive symbol of hatred and violence toward our Jewish community members, but this odious symbol is an affront to us all. As campus leaders, we are saddened and outraged that this occurred in our community.
Photo: StandWithUs via Facebook
Senior Editor-at-Large Joel B. Pollak edits Breitbart California and is the author of the new ebook, Wacko Birds: The Fall (and Rise) of the Tea Party, available for Amazon Kindle.
Follow Joel on Twitter: @joelpollak
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