MORE THAN 70% OF UC STUDENTS HAVE

WITNESSED OR EXPERIENCED ANTI-SEMITISM,

NEW SURVEY REVEALS
Will be released at 1st Public Meeting of UC Taskforce Formed to Address
Recent Rash of Anti-Semitism
Contact: Nicole Rosen
202-309-5724
communications@AMCHAinitiative.org

Los Angeles, CA, Oct. 26, 2015 More than 70% of the 229 self-identified University
of California (UC) Jewish students who participated in an online survey reported
witnessing or experiencing anti-Semitism on campus, according to a survey
conducted by AMCHA Initiative in October. The results also revealed that one-third of
respondents felt campus administrators were not sensitive to Jewish student
concerns and three-quarter of respondents reported that BDS campaigns promote
hostile actions toward Jewish students on campus.
The survey was conducted from October 13 October 22. The survey was open to all
Jewish students and was disseminated through Jewish organizations on campus,
such as Hillel, Chabad, and the Jewish fraternity AEPi, as well through Jewish student
leaders on UC campuses.

Survey Results:
High levels of anti-Semitism at UC
More than 70% of the respondents had witnessed or experienced on their campuses
one or more of the following forms of anti-Jewish bigotry:

Heckling, offensive remarks or name-calling directed at them or other Jewish

students 40%
Anti-Semitic graffiti or symbols (eg. swastikas) 47%
Their property or the property of other Jewish students damaged or destroyed 25%
Threats or acts of physical violence directed at them or other Jewish students (eg.
spitting, punching, kicking) 14%
False accusations or disparaging remarks made against them or other Jewish
students 50%
Email or social media postings with hateful or derogatory language about Jews sent
or posted by fellow students 45%

Anti-Semitic Rhetoric Used During BDS Campaigns is Creating a Hostile

Environment

80% of the respondents were aware of past, present or planned activities on their
campuses promoting the anti-Israel BDS movement.
Of those respondents who were aware of BDS activity on their campuses, 78% said
that they felt BDS-related activities on their campuses have promoted, or could
promote, hostile actions towards Jewish students on their campuses.
29% of the respondents said that they have personally felt hostile attitudes or
actions directed towards themselves as Jewish students as a result of BDS activities
on their campuses.

Students Feel UC Administrators Unresponsive

More than one-third of the respondents (35%) felt that campus administrators were
not sensitive to Jewish student concerns.
These numbers are very distressing, stated Professor Leila Beckwith, AMCHA
Initiative cofounder and the lead author of this survey. Beckwith is a UCLA emeritus
professor who has decades of experience in scientific research. The problem is even
more widespread than most recognize.

Anecdotal Experiences Shared by Students (All direct quotes from

survey)
Anti-Israel Groups Target All Jewish Students, Regardless of Their Feelings on
Israel

When in a SUA meeting for a bill supporting Israel the members of sjp for a short
while were shouting things like down with Israel, but also someone chimed in down
with Jews. Also one of my friends wearing a yarmulke walking into the library had a
member of sjp wearing a border patrol uniform say Hitler was right. (UCSC)
Im in a Jewish interest sorority and during divestment were encouraged not to wear
letters because a few times people have come up to sisters during divestment and
have started heckling them about BDS stuff. I try and stay away from anything
having to do with BDS as much as possible because it makes me uncomfortable. In
fact during BDS I actually avoid Hillel, the quad, and even my sorority because I just
really dont want to have to deal with how unsafe campus feels during that time.
Everyone in my entire Jewish sphere is stressed and anxious and I have never
experienced that level of discomfort in my community until coming to UC Davis.
(UCD)
There have been many times where students in SJP, the organization at our school
that pushed for BDS, have threatened to protest at Jewish events. Most recently we
held an event about rising anti-semitism on college campuses, it was off campus at
the Jewish resource center and was very clearly a Jewish not an Israel event and they
spoke about protesting it on their Facebook page. They have also protested in front
of the Chabad rabbi for UCSCs house around the high holidays this past year. Our

rabbi has never been outspoken on campus about his pro-Israel views other than
possibly attending some events, it was clearly an anti-semitic act and not one of just
being anti-Israel. (UCSC)
They have not made a distinction between the activities of some Israelis and Jewish
people in general. This has led to antisemitic sentiment on campus and a hostile
climate. (UCD)
I have been called an Israeli terrorist and Dirty Jew many times. I have seen
students posting pro-Nazi things, and saying that all Israelis deserve to die on social
media amongst a few other things. (UCD)
Throughout the Israel Independence Fair there were a bunch of students holding up
signs claiming that Israelis were terrorists and that Jews were the reason for the
deaths of their families. Furthermore, I frequently see videos posted online about
Terror attacks cause by Jews in Israel. (UCLA)
Because being anti-Israel inherently becomes anti-Jewish. Every Jew is seen as very
strongly pro-Israel (even though this is not the case) and therefore bad in eyes of
students who support BDS. (UCSD)
Its obvious how BDS often resorts to targeting, singling out, and conflating Jewish
students with Israeli policies. (UCI)

The Rhetoric and Actions Targeting Students Go Well Beyond Political or

Scholarly Debate

My friend was out at night and a student from SJP called her demeaning names and
spat at her. (UCSD)
Student senators who voted against Divestment got a lot of hate mail and threats.
(UCD)
Any time a BDS activity occurs on campus, the amount of swastikas found in
libraries has gone up. Also, the amount of anti-Jewish postsincreases. (UCI)
Another was people blatantly calling for an intifada and the killing of Jews during a
protest on campus. (UCB)
The divestment resolution period was one of the most toxic environments that I have
seen for Jewish students on this campus. The amount of vitriol and hate coming from
the pro divestment side was enormous. (UCD)
I was physically assaulted in an elevator in 2013. I heard my friend get called a
zionist kike by SJP. Today, I was called a kike on campus by SJP. My two female
friends and I were shoved to the ground and physically assaulted at our own Israel
event in 2014I am afraid to be on this campus. (UCI)

BDS Creates a Hostile Environment on Campus

These activities introduce a bias in peoples views of Judaism and blame Jews for
actions they arent responsible for. Its the night of the broken glass all over again
one Jewish person messes up and all of a sudden its on all of us. Its just morally
wrong and culturally insensitive to protest against Judaism without hearing the
whole story. (UCSC)

BDS allows people on campus to openly attack Jewish students identities. Student
government over the last 2 years has been solely focused on BDS and forgotten the
students needs. (UCLA)
It is not uncommon to observe hateful remarks against Jewish students/people being
made while discussing BDS (UCD)
BDS sets a tone of exclusion on the campus. Its only logical that hostile attitudes and
actions would stem from this. (UCI)
Views from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement should be expressed on
college campuses. After all, we as people deserve to hear the opinions of others, even
if we disagree. However, such a divisive topic has certainly led to hate and negativity
being spread throughout my campus. (UCB)
Whenever BDS presents the divestment resolution on campus, the entire campus
climate changes. My so called friends who are against Israel stop talking to me and
the campus splits. My anxiety increases three fold and I genuinely experience PTSD
after the meeting. (UCSB)
[As a result of BDS] I dont feel comfortable showing my faith anymore. Simple as
that. (UCD)

The student quotes show unequivocally that many anti-Israel activists target, harass
and intimidate Jewish students, regardless of how that student feels about Israel.
They also demonstrate the frightening extent to which anti-Israel BDS campaigns are
steeped in anti-Semitic themes and lead to anti-Jewish incitement and behavior, said
Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, AMCHA Initiative cofounder and director and one of the
authors of the survey. We urge UC to adopt the State Department definition of antiSemitism which understands when scholarly criticism ends and anti-Semitism
begins.
The survey results will be shared with members of the UC Regents Working Group on
Intolerance at their first public meeting today. The UC group was formed in
September after thousands of students, faculty, parents, alumni, rabbis, advocacy
groups and concerned citizens drew attention to the alarming rise of anti-Semitism
at UC. The group is comprised of Regents, a UC chancellor and university faculty.
UC has experienced many incidents of anti-Jewish discrimination of late. In the last
month since school resumed, swastikas and F*** Jews were carved into two cars
and tires were slashed on multiple vehicles at UC Davis and a female Jewish student
at UC San Diego was followed and harassed by a male SJP student who yelled racist
Zionist cow at her. Last year, swastikas were spray-painted on a Jewish fraternity
after fraternity brothers spoke against divesting from Israel, grout out the Jews and
Hitler did nothing wrong was carved into school property after contentious BDS
campaigns, a Hillel event for the LGBT community was protested and disrupted by
anti-Israel students and faculty, flyers blaming Israel AND all Jews for 9/11 were
plastered on campus and a Jewish student running for office was questioned about
her eligibility by anti-Israel activists simply because of her religion. UC Jewish
students report feeling afraid to tell fellow students they are Jewish, walk to the Hillel
house for Sabbath dinner and wear a Jewish star necklace. Many report being bullied,
harassed, intimidated and assaulted.

Over the past nine months, more than 50 Jewish organizations, including ADL, AJC,
Hillel, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and AMCHA and more than 3,000 UC students,
faculty, alumni, California residents, rabbis, Jewish day school principals and
educators, including the worlds preeminent scholars of anti-Semitism, have written
to UC in support of adopting an accurate definition of modern anti-Semitism to
properly identify and educate the campus community about contemporary Jewhatred. Specifically, the groups have urged the adoption of the State Department
definition of anti-Semitism.
The U.S. State Department definition recognizes that contemporary anti-Semitism has
assumed various disguised forms and, as the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found,
is often camouflaged as anti-Israelism or anti-Zionism. The State Department
definition acknowledges activity that demonizes and delegitimizes Israel and denies
its right to exist as anti-Semitism.
AMCHA Initiative is a non-profit organization, based in California, dedicated to
combating antisemitism at institutions of higher education in America.

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