Law student groups at Berkeley amend bylaws to develop Jewish-free zones

Several student groups at the University of California, Berkeley, law school have adopted a bylaw prohibiting pro-Israel speakers at events.

Written by Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine (LSJP), the bylaw is meant to ensure ‘the safety and welfare of Palestinian students on campus.’ It added that the organization will hold ‘Palestine 101’ training courses.

At least nine groups have adopted the rule so far, including the Berkeley Law Muslim Student Association, Middle Eastern and North African Law Students Association, Womxn of Color Collective, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Queer Caucus, Community Defense Project, Women of Berkeley Law and Law Students of African Descent.

Erwin Chereminsky, the law school’s dean since 2017, identifies as Jewish and recognizes that under this new bylaw he would not be able to speak. 

‘It is troubling to broadly exclude a particular viewpoint from being expressed,’ he told The Jewish News of Northern California. ‘Indeed, taken literally, this would mean that I could not be invited to speak because I support the existence of Israel, though I condemn many of its policies.’

The bylaw has since been adopted by nine groups at Berkeley Law while being condemned by both school and national Jewish organizations

The bylaw is meant to ensure ‘the safety and welfare of Palestinian students on campus’

One response from a Jewish group at Berkeley Law said it is ‘saddened’ and ‘concerned’ by the decision for groups to adopt the bylaw

Chereminsky added that students involved ‘are taking a step down a very ugly road.’

‘Berkeley Law wouldn’t be Berkeley Law if students didn’t engage in a certain amount of wrongheaded political nonsense,’ he said.

‘This is different, because it’s not just a political stunt. It is tinged with antisemitism and anti-Israel national origin discrimination.’

The Jewish Students Association at Berkeley Law wrote in response to the byline that they were ‘saddened’ and  ‘concerned’ that groups will ‘silence Jewish voices on campus’ while alienating ‘many Jewish students from certain groups on campus.’

‘Students can advocate for Palestinians and criticize Israeli policies without denying Israel the right to exist or attacking the identity of other students,’ the statement, co-written by five members, says.

‘We are troubled that this bylaw creates an environment in which only one viewpoint is acceptable.’

The campus’s larger group, the Jewish Students Association, complemented this opinion.

 ‘When an affinity group adopts this by-law or conditions speaking privileges on denouncing Israel, many Jewish people are put in a position all too familiar: deny or denigrate a part of their identity or be excluded from community groups,’ the group wrote.

The university, in addition to the aforementioned groups, did not immediately respond to inquiries by DailyMail.com.

Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chereminsky (pictured) is a progressive Zionist and he says he would be banned from speaking at events hosted by the groups supporting the bylaw

Pictured: Tweets discussing the decision by the Berkeley Law group

The bylaw starts by saying the group, which adopts it will ‘include a Palestine-centered and de-colonial approach to holding club activities,’ according to a LSJP Instagram post.

‘The (insert organization name) is committed to providing a supportive community space for all indigenous peoples globally, including movements for Palestinian liberation,’ it reads.

A caption on the post says LSJP is openly promoting the bylaw to other student groups: ‘LSJP is calling ALL student organizations at Berkeley law to take an anti-racist and anti-settler colonial stand and adopt the bylaw into their constitutions ASAP!’

In response to backlash from the bylaw, LSJP said they believed ‘Israel is an apartheid state,’ which requires them to ‘have an obligation to act.’

‘Supporting Palestinian liberation does not mean opposition to Jewish people or the Jewish religion; in fact, Jewish liberation and Palestinian liberation are intertwined, and we are committed to each other’s safety,’ it said.

Pictured: As a result of public backlash, the LSJP released a public statement in its defense

Pictured: A two-page response written by LSJP supporting its decision to enact the bylaw in addition to advertising it to other student groups

‘Supporting Palestinian liberation does not mean opposition to Jewish people or the Jewish religion,’ the response reads

Jewish groups and organizations have since publicly commented in opposition to the LSJP bylaw.

Roz Rothstein, co-founder of StandWithUs, told FOX News ‘misrepresenting Zionism is anti-Semitic and will never lead to peace.’

Head of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Berkeley law alumnus Kenneth L. Marcus said the bylaw is not ‘just a political student. It is tinged with anti-Semitism and anti-Israel national origin discrimination.’

Another group, the Zionist Organization of America, criticized both the bylaw and Chereminsky’s public response.

‘When he noted his support for Israel’s existence, he felt the need to qualify it, by adding that he condemned many of Israel’s policies – as if that is even remotely relevant to whether Jewish and pro-Israel voices and views have the right to be expressed at Berkeley law,’ said President Morton A. Klein.

The Jewish Student Association at Berkeley Law closed its statement by saying it hopes more students on campus join the dialogue.