Michael A. Waterman from Pegasus Investments wrote this piece about UCLA. I thought I would share it: Chancellor Block: Last night, I attended a meeting of UCLA students (most were Jewish, some were not), which was also attended by some professors at UCLA as well as community professionals and leaders. The students expressed an alarming amount of fear of discrimination, as well as potential physical harm - for being Jewish students at UCLA. Their Judaism was evident by their support for Israel. The university has fostered an environment that allows outside provocateurs and students to demean Israel and Jews; to make outrageous, untrue statements and accusations. When some of the Jewish (and non-Jewish) students try to respond with facts or to have a dialogue, they are shouted down, ridiculed, physically intimidated and/or wrongfully made to appear and/or feel that they are baby killers or defending an apartheid regieme. While these are silly lies, they are allowed to be spread (and even taught by some professors and T.A.s) by the administrations failure to take a firm position, hiding behind the cloak of free speech. Free Speech is only a constitutional right when used against the government. It is NOT Free Speech, when it is used to intimidate and hurt others - or when the idea is actually to stifle free speech - especially at the university. Chancellor Block; you issued a limp-wristed statement distancing himself from BDS, and implying that there was a fair and balanced dialogue over the issue (below). However, UCLA is doing next-to-nothing to make UCLA a safe place for young Jews to learn. The number of Jews attending (being accepted to) UCLA has plummeted. The discourse about Israel and Jews has become oppressive. For that reason, I will no longer contribute funds to any UCLA program and I will encourage all of my fellow alumni and friends to do likewise - until the attitudes at UCLA change. Either the student council is filled by evil students (which I doubt) - or the administration has allowed evil provocateurs to fill the students heads with evil ideas. With all of the awful evil in the world - in Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, etc., the students decided to boycott ISRAEL. Israel? Really? Where Arabs serve in the Parliament and are judges on the Supreme Court? Where Arabs are some of the most prominent doctors and lawyers in the country? Where the standard of living of the Arabs is higher than in any other Arab country? Where 20% of the population is Arab and they are able to live and actively participate in the only democracy in the Middle East? My heart is broken that UCLA stands by and watches Israel (and the Jews) being singled out for derision and hatred. If you cant fix this ... expect no more money / donations / support from this alumnus, who is very ashamed of what UCLA has become. Michael Waterman, Esq. - 1972 UCLA alum Chancellor Gene Block released a statement on a recent student government vote calling on UC and UCLA to divest in some companies that do business with Israel. UCLA’s Undergraduate Students Association Council has debated and approved a resolution that calls for disinvestment in companies that engage in business with Israel. As an institution of higher education, the university recognizes that our students have a right to engage in open dialogue and share opinions on complex issues. Divestment from a foreign government or companies doing business with a foreign government, however, is a serious action that requires careful, fair deliberations. UCLA and the UCLA Foundation share the Board of Regents conviction that divestment decisions should not hold any one organization or country to a different standard than any other. The Board of Regents does not support divestment in companies that engage in business with Israel and UCLA agrees with that position.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 08:26:31 +0000
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