Student groups at UC Berkeley School of Law have passed a bylaw banning "Zionist" speakers from appearing at events on campus.
The bylaw, presented by the “Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine” (LSJP) student group, allegedly aims to protect "the safety and welfare of Palestinian students.” According to the Daily Mail, at least nine other student groups endorsed the bylaw so far.
The Berkeley Law School’s Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, a Jewish man himself, said the bylaw may prevent him from speaking in university events. “Taken literally, this would mean that I could not be invited to speak because I support the existence of Israel, though I condemn many of its policies.”
Some Jewish organizations criticized Chemerinsky’s words, saying he allowed for an antisemitism to flourish at the university.
The Jewish Students Association at Berkeley Law also addressed the bylaw, saying it was “saddened and concerned that groups silence Jewish voices on campus.” It added, “students can advocate for Palestinians and criticize Israeli policies without denying Israel the right to exist or attacking the identity of other students,”
In response to the criticism, LSJP defended the decision, saying Israel "is an apartheid state. We have an obligation to act.”
It added: “'Supporting Palestinian liberation does not mean opposition to Jewish people or the Jewish religion; in fact, Jewish liberation and Palestinian liberation are intertwined, and we are committed to each other's safety.”