The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) strongly praised the Los Angeles City Council today, for unanimously voting yesterday in favor of a resolution that calls on UCLA to cancel the National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) upcoming conference. Scheduled for November 16-18 at UCLA, the conference “will promote anti-Semitism,” the resolution reportedly states.
The Jewish Journal described the provisions of the City Council’s resolution in detail, including that “SJP members have posted violent anti-Semitic rhetoric on social media, ranging from calling for the annihilation of the Jewish people, to the admiration of Adolf Hitler and hateful calls to ‘kill Jews’ ‘kill all Zionists’ and ‘let’s stuff some Jews in the oven.’”
The resolution also reportedly expresses concern about the anti-Semitic SJP’s discriminatory policy for admission to the conference. The registration requirements on the hate group’s national website provide: “Participants must be part of and register through an active SJP (or otherwise named campus Palestine solidarity group) – thus excluding most Jewish and pro-Israel students. The City Council’s resolution appropriately notes, “A public university should not allow any group to implement a litmus test for event participation on their campus based on an attendee’s beliefs, religion, or national origin” – and that such actions would violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Adding to these concerns, the anti-Semitic SJP is using a logo for its national conference that includes an artistic rendition of UCLA’s mascot, the Bruin Bear, accompanied by a Palestinian Arab kite in the shape of the state of Israel (see image above) adjacent to a PLO flag, more than implying that all of Israel belongs to the Palestinian Arabs. UCLA sent a cease-and-desist letter to the hate group’s national chapter, noting that UCLA did not authorize the use of the logo, which “some may interpret as an intention to endorse violence against Israel.” In fact, for months, Palestinian Arabs have been launching hundreds of kites and balloons – laden with explosives – from Gaza into Israel, with the intention of destroying sovereign Israeli land and harming and traumatizing innocent Israelis.
Commending the LA City Council’s actions, Morton A. Klein, the ZOA’s National President, and Susan B. Tuchman, Esq., director of the ZOA’s Center for Law and Justice, stated: “The ZOA strongly applauds the LA City Council for opposing anti-Semitism and taking a strong stand against UCLA hosting the anti-Semitic SJP’s national conference. The bigoted SJP has a long history of not only promoting hatred and violence against Jews and Israel, but also of trying to shut down and stifle Jewish and pro-Israel voices – as it did just last May at UCLA. The bullying and intimidation at a pro-Israel event on the campus was so severe that the police had to intervene.
“In addition, this hate group has a history of ignoring and defying the rules and standards of behavior that everyone else is expected to comply with. It’s obvious that the choice of a Palestinian Arab kite for the conference’s logo – in the shape of the state of Israel – was a blatant message of support for Palestinian Arab terror and destruction against Israel and Jews, and that all of Israel belongs to the Arabs. If this were not the intended message, then SJP would immediately have complied with UCLA’s cease-and-desist demands. Instead, this hate group defied the demands and remained true to its hateful and violent aims.
“Particularly after the recent massacre by an evil human monster of 11 Jews at a Pittsburgh synagogue, the ZOA strongly urges UCLA’s leaders to treat their students’ physical and emotional safety with the utmost seriousness and care. The decision to host the anti-Semitic SJP’s hateful and divisive national conference should be rescinded immediately. UCLA should not play any role in facilitating this hate group’s harassment, intimidation and bigotry. Allowing this conference to proceed endangers Jewish students and harms UCLA’s reputation.”