The University of California, Berkeley, was slammed Friday for creating “Jewish-free zones” after nine student groups adopted a rule forbidding pro-Israel speakers at events.
The controversial bylaw, updated for the new academic year by a pro-Palestinian group on campus, says it aims to stop the spread of Zionist beliefs.
“[The organizations] will not invite speakers that have expressed interest and continue to hold views, host, sponsor or promote events in support of Zionism, the apartheid state of Israel and the occupation of Palestine,” states the bylaw, written by the Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine.
But the policy — which also effectively bans the school’s Jewish dean from speaking — was promptly slammed as an anti-Semitic attack on free speech in an environment that’s supposed to welcome diverse voices.
