In all my years in the UCLA community, I have never felt so strongly about a topic as this one. Recently, UCLA has become a campus where proper avenues of dialogue and discourse have been discarded for slanderous, hateful, and damaging tactics by the supporters of the BDS movement, leaving thousands of pro-Israeli students (Jewish and non-Jewish alike) uncomfortable on their own campus. False, hypocritical, and slanderous claims have been made about my community and individuals within it, a community my parents and I grew up in and a community I hope my kids and grand kids will be able to enjoy. Even UCLAs administration has abandoned the community, choosing not to speak out when a resolution was presented by pro-BDS students banning future USAC members from taking free or subsidized trips through the Anti-Defamation League, Hasbara, and AIPAC. No other organizations are mentioned, and it is a desperate attempt to suffocate the Jewish community and its leaders. To add insult, the Lets Act slate’s (which is pro-BDS) presidential-nominee and next years president-elect took a free trip to Israel from ADL, but was behind a successful push to bring Bruins United’s presidential-nominee to the judicial board for taking a similar trip to Israel because he voted anti-BDS in this years BDS attempt (which was unsuccessful). Additionally, during election week, Bruins United’s IVP-nominee (who won by a substantial margin) was slandered and labeled as an Islamaphobe in UCLA’s Al-Talib magazine and was asked to openly denounce his relationship to Hasbara because he took a free trip to Israel through them. I personally did not understand the gravity of the situation until I spent the last week on UCLAs campus. I felt firsthand the hostility towards Jewish students and am shocked that this is happening in my alma mater. In my years at UCLA and during previous attempts to pass the BDS resolution, anti-semitic language and openly attacking students of either side was not tolerated or was actively denounced. However, this year it is clear that this is not only commonplace but openly accepted. Im asking all UCLA students and alumni to sign this petition, whether or not you are Jewish or even your personal stance on the BDS movement. Im asking so that you can protect current and future UCLA students from losing their freedom of thought and representation. Im asking that you sign this so that other student groups arent marginalized, including pro-BDS groups. Im asking because UCLA is a home to me, and I know its a home to many others. bruinsforisrael/statement/
Posted on: Thu, 15 May 2014 03:57:32 +0000
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