UCLA student government passes resolution condemning anti-Semitism

Marcy Oster

(JTA) — The undergraduate student government of UCLA unanimously passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism.

The 12-0 vote by the Undergraduate Students Association Council came Tuesday night after more than 100 students spoke in support of the resolution, the student newspaper The Daily Bruin reported.

The resolution, which calls on the student government to fight against anti-Semitism, condemns recent incidents of anti-Semitism on University of California campuses, including swastikas painted on the door of a Jewish fraternity at UC Davis, and the questioning last month of a Jewish member of the student government by fellow members about whether she can be impartial because of her religious ties.  The resolution also calls for diversity training for student government members. It further calls for an end to the demonization of Israel, but leaves room for “appropriate and acceptable criticism of Israel.”

The resolution was drafted by members of the campus Hillel, and Council President Avinoam Baral, according to the Daily Bruin.

The Jewish Voice for Peace organization in a statement issued after the resolution was passed said it is “deeply concerned” that the resolution ” further enshrines long-standing political efforts to silence legitimate criticism of the state of Israel by codifying its inclusion in the definition of anti-Semitism. ”

The student government on Tuesday also voted to make the video of the Feb. 10 hearing which included the questioning of Jewish member Rachel Beyda available on YouTube,