Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) is appalled by the anti-Semitic remarks made by attendees at the April 17th ASUC Senate meeting at UC Berkeley. We cannot stand by as harassment and intimidation are directed towards the Jewish community through any means, including the use of anti-Semitic tropes and conspiracy theories.

At the meeting, a student leader claimed that the Israeli Defense Forces train American police to kill black people and that being friends with Zionists means one is complicit in oppression, the prison-industrial complex, and modern-day slavery. Also, a former ASUC Senator downplayed the calls for more Jewish student representation in elected position as “white tears, Zionist tears.” While the intent of the meeting was to discuss the ASUC Senate elections, this didn’t stop it from becoming a platform for anti-Semitism and bigotry.

ACF stands with the UC Berkeley Jewish community and we ask that other Jewish and Zionist communities stand with them as well. This gross display of anti-Semitism is a stain not only on ASUC Senate, but on UC Berkeley as a whole and we call on the Administration and student leaders to take corrective action to protect the Jewish and Zionist community on campus.