A course at the University of California, Berkeley, that offers a "settler-colonialist" perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has sparked outrage among Jewish parents and students. They argue that the course promotes a biased, anti-Israel narrative and condones antisemitic rhetoric. The course, titled "Palestine: A Settler Colonial Analysis," grants students two academic credits and has been a point of contention for years.
This isn't the first time the course has been in the spotlight of controversy. In 2016, the course faced similar criticism and was briefly suspended following complaints that it failed to meet Berkeley’s academic standards. However, after further review, it was reinstated with certain conditions. Despite these changes, critics, including Jewish advocacy groups and parents, claim that no substantial modifications have been made, and they are now pushing for the course’s complete removal.
Critics point fingers at Professor Hatem Bazian, a Berkeley faculty member who supports the course and is also a co-founder of the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), an organization that has led many pro-Palestinian demonstrations. SJP has been the subject of controversy, with its activities banned at certain universities over concerns about antisemitic incidents.
In a petition by 'UC Berkeley Parents and Allies Cal,' they write: 'The course title alone, "Settler Colonial Analysis," misrepresents Israel’s history. Colonial powers are not indigenous to the lands they colonize, yet Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people, who have lived there continuously for thousands of years. Historic and genetic evidence links Jews to the land, a fact that the course deliberately ignores. Zionism is not a colonial movement but a revival of a nation in its ancestral land. The Jews did not arrive with weapons to conquer, but with rakes and hoes to cultivate land that had been under foreign control for 2,000 years, while seeking coexistence with the Arabs.'"
Despite the protests, UC Berkeley has reinstated the course, citing its commitment to academic freedom. In a statement, the university emphasized that the course aligns with UC Regents’ policies on academic integrity and is designed to encourage thoughtful and respectful dialogue. However, concerned parents argue that academic freedom should not be used as a cover to disseminate politically charged, one-sided viewpoints. They urge the university administration to ensure that content deemed as "antisemitic defamation" is not given academic legitimacy or credit.
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Student activism at UC Berkeley has been hijacked by antisemites
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In response to an inquiry from Ynetnews, UC Berkeley stated that the university is “committed to academic freedom and ensures that all courses adhere to UC Regents and campus policies, which include guidelines with regard to academic integrity. This includes Regents Policy 2301, which prohibits the use of the classroom for ‘political indoctrination.’ To ensure it meets the university’s rigorous academic standards, this course is designed to abide by these guidelines, and it includes thoughtful and respectful discussions of topics relevant to the course content. UC Berkeley continues to uphold these standards while fostering dialogue within the bounds of academic freedom and respect for all perspectives."
According to the complaint, faculty members have been surveilled, intimidated and even arrested for exercising their free speech rights. The report also claims that UC officials launched investigations into several professors, issued warnings, and, in some cases, barred them from future educational activities. At UC San Francisco, a lecturer was temporarily prohibited from participating in conferences after discussing Palestinian health issues during a medical talk.
The complaint also contrasts the treatment of pro-Palestinian faculty with that of pro-Israeli professors, noting that the university declined to investigate a UC Irvine faculty member accused of harassing a student despite video evidence of the incident.
UC officials, however, reject the accusations. In a statement, a university spokesperson said the institution supports free speech and lawful protest but must ensure campus safety. The university has implemented policies regulating the time, place, and manner of protests, and officials defended their actions as necessary to maintain security and order.
The riots against the students' Jewish organization at UC Berkeley
The Public Employment Relations Board will now review the case and determine whether to dismiss the charge or proceed with a formal hearing.
In the meantime, faculty across the University of California system have accused UC administrators of violating labor laws in response to pro-Palestinian protests on multiple campuses. In a 581-page complaint filed with the California Public Employment Relations Board, the Council of UC Faculty Associations alleges that the university has taken disciplinary action against faculty members who supported student protests, taught courses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or voiced pro-Palestinian views on social media.