Israel haters groups response to anti-Semitism at SFSU "But we're the victims".

The recent lawsuit alleging systemic anti-antisemitism at San Francisco State University has gotten a great deal of press lately

Lawsuit claims San Francisco State, university leaders, have history of cultivating campus environment hostile to Jews

San Francisco State University fosters anti-Semitism, lawsuit alleges

Lawsuit says Jewish students ‘intimidated’ at SF State

Current and former students sue SFSU over alleged anti-Semitism

Not being able to control the narrative is a first for the haters.  How are they handling the stress?

What is the reaction of, oh, lets say Jewish Voice for Peace to this? After all, their mission statement claims they oppose "anti-Jewish, bigotry and oppression".   

Ben Lorber, a JVP staffer has "talking points" to share and can help you write a letter, denying anti-Jewish bigotry and oppression even exists

Other anti-Israel groups are also mobilizing fast as they can, utilizing their perpetual theme of  " But, but, but we're the victims" ( so send us money).

A "Launch good" page has been set up to raise money for  SFSU  Professor Rabab Abdulhadi and her students. 

The page reads

They disagreed with her work on Palestine, so they plastered posters across campus calling her a terrorist and a Jew-hater.

Professor Rabab Abdulhadi of the Arab Muslim and Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies program has filed several grievances against San Francisco State University for the hostile and unsafe work and study environment for Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs on campus. Your generous donation will contribute to the legal defense fund against Islamophobia, anti-Arab discrimination and hostility to Palestinians at SFSU campus and to supporting the AMED Studies program against destruction.

"They" apparently means pro-Israel groups such as David Horowitz, Canary Mission, AMCHA, Campus Watch, Stand With US, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Middle East Forum and the Zionist Organization of America -any group that dares defends the rights of Jewish students on campus.

In the eternal sunshine of their spotless victimhood, apparently  the appearance of several dozen tasteless posters on campus constitutes "intimidation" for the General Union of Palestinian students at SFSU. However, there is no evidence that any group other than the Horowitz center was involved, and Jewish SFSU faculty and student groups on campus immediately denounced the posters.  

The General Union of Palestinian Students has rather tender sensibilities for a group that routinely shouts down any dissenting voice, calls for genocide, and maintains a truth-optional view of history.

Spreading hatred at SFSU

Spreading hatred at SFSU

Koret Foundation withdrew $1.7m grant to San Francisco State University

Anti-Semitism doesn't pay. SFSU has learned the hard way.

According to an article in the J Weekly, the Jewish News of  Northern California, written by Max.Cherney:

The San Francisco-based Koret Foundation last year held back a $1.7 million grant to San Francisco State University, according to a federal lawsuit filed earlier this week.

Among other accusations in the lawsuit, the plaintiff’s lawyers laid out a squabble over the sizable grant between SFSU and the San Francisco-based Koret Foundation, a well-fundedphilanthropic organization that works on a range of causes.

Koret’s reason for withholding the grant was due to concerns about “anti-Jewish animus” at SFSU, the lawsuit claims, and because of a 2016 incident where protesters prevented Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat from giving a scheduled talk at the school.

Read it all here

Groundbreaking Civil Rights Lawsuit Against San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University has been hit with a lawsuit, alleging systemic patterns of discrimination and harassment directed towards Jewish students.

The lawsuit  filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California  names the Board of Trustees of the California State University System, SFSU President Leslie Wong and others as defendants. The plaintiffs, including students, alumni and community members are represented by attorneys from The Lawfare Project and the global law firm Winston & Strawn LLP.

From a press release, filed by Amanda Berman, Lawfare Project Director of Legal Affairs
and Brooke Goldstein, Lawfare Project Director

The lawsuit was triggered following the alleged complicity of senior university administrators and police officers in the disruption of an April, 2016, speech by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat. At that event organized by SF Hillel, Jewish students and audience members were subjected to genocidal and offensive chants and expletives by a raging mob that used bullhorns to intimidate and drown out the Mayor’s speech and physically threaten and intimidate members of the mostly-Jewish audience. At the same time, campus police – including the chief – stood by, on order from senior university administrators who instructed the police to “stand down” despite direct and implicit threats and violations of university codes governing campus conduct.

The lawsuit states that “SFSU has not merely fostered and embraced anti-Jewish hostility -it has systematically supported … student groups as they have doggedly organized their efforts to target, threaten, and intimidate Jewish students on campus and deprive them of their civil rights and their ability to feel safe and secure as they pursue their education at SFSU.” SFSU continues to affirm its preference for those targeting the Jewish community, according to the lawsuit, by claiming to handle such incidents successfully by removing the Jewish students from their lawful assembly without allowing them the opportunity to exercise their free speech rights.”

Making matters worse, no actions were ever taken by SFSU against the disruptive students, no disciplinary charges were ever filed, and no sanctions were ever imposed against the groups or students responsible for committing these acknowledged violations.

“Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the underpinning of the modern American ethos of equal protection and anti-discrimination. This case isn’t about Jews, it’s about equal protection under the law,” says Brooke Goldstein, Lawfare Project Director. “If the courts fail to apply Title VI in this context, we are creating a massive loophole that will ultimately be exploited to target other marginalized minority communities. If we refuse to enforce anti-discrimination law for Jews, if we say Jews don’t deserve equal protection, it will erode constitutional protections for everyone. Jews must be protected the same as any other minority group, or the bedrock of civil rights law will crumble.”

In addition to the disruption of the speech by Nir Barkat, the lawsuit describes a long list of discrimination, intimidation and mistreatment of Jewish students at SFSU.  Following are just a few examples:

In 1994, a ten-foot mural was erected on SFSU’s student union building that portrayed yellow Stars of David intertwined with dollar signs, skulls and crossbones, and the words “African Blood.”

In 1997, a banner depicting an Israeli flag with a swastika next to an American flag with a dollar sign was hung over the same wall where the 1994 mural had been painted.

In April of 2002, posters appeared around campus advertising an event called “Genocide in the 21st Century,” featuring a dead baby on the label of a soup can, surrounded on either side by Israeli flags.

In May of 2002, following a Peace rally, a small group of Jewish students were targeted by a large group of students who shouted bigoted and offensive remarks, including “Hitler didn’t finish the job,” “Get out or we’ll kill you,” and “Go back to Russia.”

In 2009, SFSU hosted on-campus events that advocated for the elimination of the Jewish state of Israel.

In 2016, President Wong complained that in all his years, he had never seen a university donor withhold a pledge because of a “political issue.” A Jewish Studies faculty member told him, “the physical safety of Jewish students is never a political issue.” President Wong replied, “on this, we will have to agree to disagree.”

In 2017, when specifically asked whether Zionists are welcome at SFSU, President Wong refused to provide the only proper answer: “Yes.” Instead, President Wong demurred, stating “That’s one of those categorical statements I can’t get close to. . . . Am I comfortable opening up the gates to everyone?  Gosh, of course not.”

"Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the underpinning of the modern American ethos of equal protection and anti-discrimination. This case isn’t about Jews, it’s about equal protection under the law,” says Brooke Goldstein, Lawfare Project Director. “If the courts fail to apply Title VI in this context, we are creating a massive loophole that will ultimately be exploited to target other marginalized minority communities. If we refuse to enforce anti-discrimination law for Jews, if we say Jews don’t deserve equal protection, it will erode constitutional protections for everyone. Jews must be protected the same as any other minority group, or the bedrock of civil rights law will crumble."

Read the full complaint here

Read students and community members first hand accounts of the campus climate at SFSU  here

Read the full press release from the Lawfare Project here

San Francisco State University Toxic Climate for Jewish Students: the mainstream media catches on (part 2)

Recently a series of articles and op-eds has appeared in the J- the Jewish News of Northern California documenting the toxic campus climate for Jewish students at San Francisco State University.

Written by 2 long term professors at San Francisco State University, Marc Dollinger and Fred Astren, this article condemns the " inability or unwillingness of the university administration to speak out and act in the face of the marginalization of Jewish students". 

Jewish studies professors: S.F. State marginalizes Jews

The most troubling instance of marginalization of Jews occurred in February when members of an on-campus organizing committee, whose co-sponsors included student and faculty groups, excluded S.F. Hillel from participation in a “Know Your Rights” event, whose program was intended to assist students from marginalized communities navigate the current national political environment. In previous years, the intentional exclusion of Jewish students based upon their group status would have been properly met with an immediate administration repudiation and a call to action. The trust and goodwill of open two-way channels of communications would have facilitated an appropriate response. Instead, the S.F. State administration has made no public comment, thereby continuing in a silence that acquiesces to Jewish marginalization on campus.

In a recent email to S.F. State Hillel students concerned about their physical safety and place on campus, Wong followed an affirmation that “safety is my top priority as president” with the qualification that “one person cannot change the culture of an institution as large as San Francisco State.”

To the contrary, we believe that if there is one person who has the voice to speak out against the marginalization of Jews on campus, the ability to initiate needed change, and the obligation to lead, it is President Wong.

Marc Dollinger is the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair in Jewish Studies and Social Responsibility at San Francisco State University. Fred Astren is chair of the Jewish studies department.

Read it all here

San Francisco State University Toxic Climate for Jewish Students: the mainstream media catches on

Recently a series of articles and op-eds has appeared in the J- the Jewish News of  Northern California documenting the toxic campus climate for Jewish students at San Francisco State University.

From Ollie Benn, the executive director of San Francisco Hillel, who believes that the university must acknowledge the problem, make a strong statement against it, and then make an better effort to incorporate Hillel and the Jewish community into the campus

S.F. Hillel director: SFSU must reject intolerance against Jewish students

First, the university must acknowledge the problem. Large systems do not effectively change without their leadership using language giving recognition to wrongs.

In the 1990s, an S.F. State commission found that Jewish students had experienced “bigotry, stereotyping, intolerance and insensitivity” from institutions across campus and that anti-Israel activity had “repeatedly” crossed the line into anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, events of the past year follow that historic pattern. The university cannot change without first taking the healing step of recognizing that systemic problems have re-emerged.

Second, the university must make a strong statement rejecting systemic intolerance against Jews. The recent “Know Your Rights Fair” debacle should have played out quite differently. Students will always push the envelope, and sometimes make wrongful or even malicious decisions. But once the Palestinian student group decided to shut Hillel out of the event (which, ironically, was to discuss the marginalization of domestic minorities), the organizing committee, composed of sponsoring students, faculty and administration, should have stepped in and rejected this move.

As extensive reporting now makes clear, this is part of a troubling pattern at S.F. State. We are sure a university as committed to equality as S.F. State will no longer allow the abrogation of Jewish students’ rights to speak, listen and participate in campus life. A strong public statement rejecting systemic intolerance against Jews should not be difficult to adopt: In March 2016, the regents of the University of California unanimously passed a statement of Principles Against Intolerance; UC Irvine recently adapted and implemented those principles for its own campus; and CSU, Long Beach has committed to becoming a model of “Inclusive Excellence.”

S.F. State should follow suit. It must reject the festering culture of “anti-normalization,” instead affirming that the core values of a university include respectful debate and dialogue, and the ability to hear the opinions of others.

Third, S.F. State must better integrate Hillel into the fabric of university life. Across the country, Hillels have entered into partnerships with their universities on everything from career services to dialogue groups to housing issues to social justice causes to interfaith prayer to mental health training.....

Read it all here

San Francisco State Partners with Violently Anti-Jewish Arab University

Its not over at San Francisco State

Via Israel Thrives:

San Francisco State Partners with Violently Anti-Jewish Arab University

San Francisco State University is among the most racist universities in the United States.

It is therefore fitting that it would partner with what is probably the most racist university in the world - An-Najah National University in the Palestinian Authority controlled town of Nablus.

How bad is An-Najah? Michael L fills in the blanks:

The ADL has this to say about An-Najah National University:

An-Najah University, in the West Bank city of Nablus, has been a flashpoint in the conflict between Israel and Palestinians since at least 1980, when violent anti-Israel protests led the Israeli military to close the school intermittently. Today the student council of An-Najah is known for its advocacy of anti-Israel violence and its recruitment of Palestinian college students into terrorist groups. The council, almost completely controlled by factions loyal to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah, glorifies suicide bombings and propagandizes for jihad against Israel. Hamas has described An-Najah as a"greenhouse for martyrs." 

Matthew Levitt, the director of the Washington Institute's Stein Program on Terrorism, Intelligence, and Policy, has this to say:

Al-Najah is the largest university in the territories and "the terrorist recruitment, indoctrination and radicalization of students for which al-Najah is known typically take place via various student groups," among them the Hamas-affiliated Islamic Bloc. "Of the thirteen members of Al-Najah's 2004 student council, eight," he says - "including the chairperson - belong to Hamas's Islamic Bloc." 

After the kidnapping of three Jewish teenagers last year the graduating students of An-Najah University held up the three fingered salute in solidarity with the kidnappers:

Palestinian Media Watch tells us:

The Facebook page of the National University’s Islamic student group of An-Najah University in ‎Nablus, a school funded by USAID, called for murder of Jews posting this picture ‎of a religious Jews hiding in fear and the Islamic source from the Hadith that the PA interprets as ‎anticipating the genocide of Jews.

Tree: “O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a ‎Jew behind me – come kill him.”‎


Note: The Islamic belief that Jews will be killed ‎by Muslims as a precursor to the Resurrection ‎appears in the Hadith (sayings and practices ‎attributed to Islam's Prophet Muhammad).This ‎Islamic tradition asserts that as the killing of ‎Jews progresses, Jews will hide behind ‎stones and trees, but they will expose the ‎Jews and call out: "Oh Muslim, servant of ‎Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill ‎him." Only one tree, called the Gharqad, will ‎hide the Jews from the Muslims. ‎

And it was at An-Najah University that they created a "grotesque shrine" to the Sbarro pizza parlor massacre.

Writing in the Jerusalem Post, Mel Alexenberg tells us:

A group of An-Najah art students constructed a replica of the Sbarro pizzeria, site of the massacre.

Visitors pushed to see realistically sculpted body parts and pizza slices strewn throughout an environment set for a performance artwork.

Wearing a terrorist’s military uniform and black mask, the performance artist entered the mock pizzeria under a sign reading “Kosher Sbarro” and set off a simulated explosion to the cheers of the crowd. Upon entering and leaving, the visitors enthusiastically wiped their feet on Israeli and American flags used as doormats.

That is the school SFSU has chosen to partner with. Israel Thrives has written extensively about his Alma Mater in the past

San Francisco State University Funds Hatred Towards Jews (August 24, 2014)

Say Hello to SFSU Professor Trevor Getz (June 26, 2014)

Dear Professor Fred Astren, Why Does San Francisco State University Support Violence Against Jews? (June 26, 2014)

San Francisco State University Funds Hatred (June 6, 2014)

San Francisco State University and calls for murder (March 3, 2013)

Arab anti-Zionists call for murder at San Francisco State University (February 6, 2013)

Giving San Francisco State University the chance to do what is right (December 19, 2013)

SFSU responds to Arab calls for violence against Jews (December 10, 2013)

Screeching for Jewish Blood at San Francisco State University (December 9, 2013)

"I Love This Blade..." (December 6, 2013)

“Canned Palestinian Children Meat" (December 4, 2013)

SFSU Responds to Arab Calls for Violence Against Jews

Mike L, a graduate of SFSU has written the following in the blog, Israeli Thrives, in response to Pres. Les Wong's statement  regarding recent incidents at San Francisco State University. {Cross-posted at Jews Down Under and the Times of Israel.}

 SFSU Responds to Arab Calls for Violence Against Jews

San Francisco State University (SFSU) president, Les Wong, has responded for the second time to criticisms that calling for the murder of Jews is perhaps something less than educative.  And for the second time he refuses to address the central issue, which is a call to violence against Jews by the General Union of Palestine Students (GUPS).

Professor Wong, who earned a PhD in educational psychology from Washington State University, makes three significant points.  The first is that calling for the murder of Jews is essentially a matter of free speech.  That is his first and foremost point.  It is not that calling for the murder of Jews might be in contradiction to university policy, the law, or just common human decency, but that calling for the murder of Jews is a matter of free speech.

He writes:

First and foremost, I ask that you stay firmly committed to free speech.  Strong opinions—and strong disagreements—are essential to the life of our democracy, and the life of our university. 

Thus, in the mind of the president of San Francisco State University, whether or not to kill Jews is a matter for discussion and debate.  It cannot be condemned outright because that would ruin the discussion on this important matter.  SFSU cannot expel Mohammad Hammad, the president of GUPS, who held up a knife before the camera and said:

“I seriously can not get over how much I love this blade. It is the sharpest thing I own and cuts through everything like butter and just holding it makes me want to stab an Israeli soldier….” 

Nor can the university cease funding GUPS, and thus eliminate the call for the murder of Jews on the campus of SF State, because that would violate student rights to a free and open discussion on the issues of the day.  In other words, it seems to Professor Wong that the question of genocide against the Jewish people is a matter open to discussion and as the president of an important institution of higher education, dedicated to social justice and human rights, he does not want to interfere with that discussion.

He is, nonetheless, considering, maybe, doing something:

Second, trust that I will step in when speech or actions cross the line into violations of law or University policy. I am absolutely committed to maintaining a safe environment. In both recent cases, for example, we have conducted thorough threat assessments with law enforcement, increased campus safety measures, facilitated dialogue with student groups, offered counseling resources and initiated the student conduct review process. I am confident these actions protect both the safety and the rights of our campus community.  In all situations, I ask that you give our processes the time needed to be thorough, objective and effective.  Understand as well that these processes must protect the rights and privacy of those who may be the subject of counseling, review or sanction.... 

Finally, Professor Wong says this:

Third, keep an open mind.  I have spoken before about the obligation to own your own mind. Issues being debated on campus can capture widespread attention.  This can be a welcome contribution to the dialogue. It can also be a source of confusion, misinformation, and pressure to subvert our processes.  Each of us at this university is a scholar—whether student, faculty member or staff—and each of us has the obligation to form opinions and take action based on exploring, analyzing and carefully listening before drawing conclusions.

Read it all here

StandWithUs Statement on the Anti-Israel Incidents at San Francisco State University

 From StandWithUs, who join with the community in hoping that SFSU Pres. Wong will go beyond mere words in insuring a safe campus for all students.

We are appalled by recent threatening anti-Israel incidents at San Francisco State University (SFSU). 

On November 14 the school's General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) co-sponsored an event that included an art project glorifying Palestinian terrorists and “killers” of “colonizers.” In the context of the event, “colonizers” seemed to refer to Israeli Jews and possibly Israel's supporters. Worse, in early December, the president of GUPS posted a picture of himself on his social media Tumblr account. In the photo he was holding a sharp knife with the caption, “I seriously cannot get over how much I love this blade.... [J]ust holding it makes me want to stab an Israeli soldier.”

GUPS is an approved student club that receives funding from SFSU.

We commend SFSU President Leslie Wong for unequivocally condemning the November 14 event, and we hope that he will begin proactive steps to ensure that such hatred and incitement to violence are outside the boundaries of acceptable behavior at SFSU and that he will disqualify groups who indulge in this behavior from being university-approved student clubs.

Unfortunately, these incidents expose the extremism, irrationality, and menace that often underlie anti-Israel activities on our campuses. Pro-Israel students feel targeted and threatened. This is unacceptable, just as it would be if blacks, Hispanics, gays, or other minorities were targeted and bullied.

We hope that President Wong sets an example for other universities so that the safety of pro-Israel students is ensured and so that contentious topics can be reasonably discussed without degrading into hatemongering, incitement, or violent rhetoric and threats.