With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
UC System Considers Forbidding 'Anti-Zionism' On Campuses
Here's a good one for you. On Tuesday, the L.A. Times broke a story describing how the UC Regents, those in charge of the University of California system, are proposing to denote "anti-Zionism" as an unacceptable form of discrimination on its campuses.
As you would probably expect, the proposed amendment has incited an absurd amount of strong opinions from every direction. Supporters of the amendment argue that classifying anti-Zionism as discrimination is absolutely needed to protect Jewish students at public university campuses. Broadly, Zionism is the title applied to the movement that pushed for the establishment of a Jewish state, and the continued defense of that state.
On the flip side, the amendment has triggered a large constituency of the student and faculty body to argue against the proposed change, saying it is a blatant attempt to censor criticism directed towards Israel.
There's not too much else to say about this, other than to expand a bit more on the gravitas of the rift currently spreading apart the UC system. As the L.A. Times reports, a letter signed by 130 UC faculty members supported naming anti-Zionism as an expression of anti-Semitism. That letter reads that the university system must distinguish "when healthy political debate crosses the line into anti-Jewish hatred, bigotry and discrimination, and when legitimate criticism of Israel devolves into denying Israel's right to exist."
"We're very, very pleased that the working group really indicated very clearly what Jewish students have been feeling and all of us have known for a long time, which is that anti-Zionism is the most common face of anti-Semitism in college campuses," said Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a professor at UC Santa Cruz, to ABC News.
Yet another letter, signed by 250 UC faculty members, says basically the opposite, that the proposed amendment would curtail free speech the ability to teach and research Israel and the Zionist movement.
Intellectual heavyweight Judith Butler, a Berkeley professor of comparative literature, explained to the Times how including "anti-Zionism as an instance of intolerance and bigotry is actually to suppress a set of political beliefs that we actually need to hear. It saddens me and strikes at the heart of the task of the university."
The question comes down to whether or not anti-Zionism is or isn't the same thing as anti-Semitism. While I'm hardly a constitutional scholar, I can already imagine a divisive First Amendment Supreme Court case should the UC Regents approve the new language.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

-
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings.
-
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past.
-
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
-
Distrito Catorce’s Guillermo Piñon says the team no longer reflects his community. A new mural will honor local leaders instead.
-
The program is for customers in communities that may not be able to afford turf removal or water-saving upgrades.
-
More than half of sales through September have been to corporate developers. Grassroots community efforts continue to work to combat the trend.