UC Berkeley’s student newspaper, The Daily Californian, is under fire for publishing an editorial cartoon of Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz that has been criticized for being anti-Semitic.
Dershowitz spoke at Berkeley on October 11 defending Israel from a liberal perspective. A few days later, The Daily Californian published the following cartoon:
https://twitter.com/ElliottRHams/status/922283745801129984
And here it is, in glorious technicolor pic.twitter.com/7uYE8fHhrh
— Anarcho-Zionist #JusticeforMalkiRoth (@AnarchoZionist) October 23, 2017
“The Liberal Case For Israel” referenced in the cartoon was the name of Dershowitz’s event at Berkeley.
The cartoon has been accused of being anti-Semitic:
https://twitter.com/LukasMikelionis/status/922319547817955329
https://twitter.com/josh_hammer/status/922285300549865472
Disgusting anti-Semitism sowed through the pages of @dailycal https://t.co/q6mrsa3FqQ
— Tiana Lowe (@TianaTheFirst) October 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/politicalelle/status/922285005031669761
Some defended it:
https://twitter.com/DeaditeCheryl/status/922307228933255168
https://twitter.com/TimForgot/status/922303796851589120
The Daily Californian has not responded to the Journal’s requests for comment.
UC Berkeley initially blocked Dershowitz from speaking, citing a new policy that requires invitations for speakers who weren’t invited by campus faculty and staff to notify the administration eight weeks prior to the event. Dershowitz argued that the policy was skewed against pro-Israel speakers like himself because the Berkeley faculty only invites anti-Israel speakers. Berkeley relented and let him speak.
After Dershowitz’s event, someone drew a swatstika on a photo of Dershowitz on a flyer:
This was posted at the Law School at @UCBerkeley where I spoke yesterday. A swastika is drawn over my face. pic.twitter.com/ILGWIZOc0Q
— Alan Dershowitz (@AlanDersh) October 12, 2017
The poster itself is filled with out of context misquotes. I oppose torture in all forms.
— Alan Dershowitz (@AlanDersh) October 12, 2017
It is not known who put the swatstika on the flyer.
Dean of Berkeley Law School Erwin Cherwinsky sent a letter condemning the swatstika, writing, “Several of our students expressed their disagreement with him [Dershowitz] and did so in a completely appropriate way that led to discussion and dialogue. I was pleased to hear of how this went, but then shocked to learn of the swastika drawn on a flyer that someone had posted about him.”
Dershowitz is a liberal Democrat and a staunch supporter of Israel. He has written books that include The Case for Israel and The Case Against Israel’s Enemies.
