A federal court in Los Angeles has taken a stand against antisemitism at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The ruling, issued on Tuesday, orders UCLA to stop allowing and assisting in the creation of what effectively became a “Jew Exclusion Zone” on campus.
This shocking development came in the aftermath of the October 7 attack in Israel. Anti-Israel activists at UCLA set up barricades in the heart of the campus, blocking access to key educational areas. The situation was so severe that Jewish students were essentially segregated and denied access to central parts of their own university.
Judge Mark C. Scarsi’s words in the court order are chilling: “In the year 2024, in the United States of America, in the State of California, in the City of Los Angeles, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith.”
Let that sink in. In modern-day America, at a public university, students were barred from parts of their campus based on their religious beliefs. It’s a scenario that seems more fitting for a dystopian novel than a prestigious institution of higher learning.
The lawsuit, filed by Becket Law and co-counsel Clement & Murphy PLLC, accused UCLA of “aiding and abetting” this antisemitic culture. To enter the so-called “Jew Exclusion Zone,” individuals had to pledge allegiance to the activists’ views and have someone vouch for their loyalty to the cause. In practice, this meant most Jewish students couldn’t access the heart of their own campus.
What’s even more disturbing is UCLA’s response – or lack thereof. The lawsuit claims that the administration knew about these extreme actions but did nothing to stop them. The judge described this inaction as “a remarkable display of cowardice, appeasement, and illegality,” raising serious questions about the university’s commitment to protecting all its students.
The shame that has fallen upon @UCLA cannot be exaggerated.
A court has ruled that #UCLA's failure to protect #Jewish students from exclusion was "unimaginable" and "abhorrent."
Every university should take notice, lest your institution be forever stained as UCLA has been today. pic.twitter.com/Tx66APISew— Brad Pomerance (@bradpomerance) August 13, 2024
The court’s injunction, which took effect on August 15, is the first of its kind against a university for allowing an antisemitic encampment on campus. It should be a wake-up call for institutions across the country.
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Yet, instead of acknowledging their failure to protect Jewish students, UCLA seems poised to double down. The university is expected to appeal the ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. This decision to fight the court order rather than address the underlying issues speaks volumes about the administration’s priorities.
Mary Osako, UCLA’s vice chancellor for strategic communications, stated that the ruling would “improperly hamstring our ability to respond to events on the ground.” But one has to wonder: what kind of response involves allowing the exclusion of students based on their faith?
The experiences of students like Yitzchok Frankel and Eden Shemuelian highlight the real-world impact of UCLA’s failures. Frankel, a third-year law student and father of four, faced harassment for wearing a kippah and had to change his routes through campus.
A federal judge just issued a preliminary injunction ruling @UCLA can't allow anti-Israel protesters to block Jewish students from accessing classes & other parts of campus. This is the FIRST time a US judge has ruled against a university over anti-Israel protests on campus.… pic.twitter.com/WvuHwgj2jl
— Canary Mission (@canarymission) August 14, 2024
Shemuelian had to avoid using campus facilities and skip orientation events. These aren’t minor inconveniences – they’re clear violations of these students’ rights to education and religious freedom.
The fact that this situation arose and persisted at a public university is deeply troubling. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, yet UCLA allowed a situation where students were excluded based on their faith.
This isn’t just a failure of leadership; it’s a betrayal of the very principles that should guide an institution of higher learning.
The level of antisemitism on US university campuses is disgusting. It’s not enough for these institutions to pay lip service to diversity and inclusion – they must actively protect the rights of all students, regardless of their faith or background, even Jewish students.
UCLA’s decision to appeal rather than address the root issues suggests the administration supports the antisemitic movement. The court’s ruling is a step in the right direction, but it’s clear that much work remains to be done.
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