Three protesters with signs criticizing Israel stood next to Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt during her lecture about anti-Semitism at UC Berkeley on Feb. 13.
Lipstadt posted a photo of the protesters in a Feb. 16 Twitter thread. One read “another Jew supporting divestment.” Another read “Anti-Zionism =/= anti-Semitism” while the third stated “the crimes of ’48,” referencing the founding of the State of Israel.
“My talk was about anti-Semitism here and now. Not about Israel,” Lipstadt tweeted. “Three protesters positioned themselves next to me with signs attacking Israel.”
Lipstadt said in a subsequent tweet: “I want to thank the protestors for making my point more clearly than my words could,” adding that she “ignored their presence. I had far more important things to discuss.”
On Thursday night I spoke at Univ California Berkeley Law School. My talk was about antisemitism here and now. Not about Israel. Three protesters positioned themselves next to me with signs attacking Israel. pic.twitter.com/jhcCXW2eUJ
— Deborah E. Lipstadt (@deborahlipstadt) February 16, 2020
In the talk, when I spoke about antisemitism from the left, I mentioned that many people refuse to see antisemitism as legitimate. They dismiss claims of antisemitism as simply being a sop to protect Israel. This is the only prejudice those on the left refuse to take seriously.
— Deborah E. Lipstadt (@deborahlipstadt) February 16, 2020
I want to thank the protestors for making my point more clearly than my words could. (I ignored their presence. I had far more important things to discuss.) pic.twitter.com/H1Fpc6gWGv
— Deborah E. Lipstadt (@deborahlipstadt) February 16, 2020
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted: “Our friend & pioneer for Holocaust education @deborahlipstadt had her talk marred by [Students for Justice in Palestine] protesters who literally manifested her thesis by equating her with the Israeli govt. As if it needs to be said, holding all Jews collectively responsible in this manner is #antiSemitic.”
Our friend & pioneer for Holocaust education @deborahlipstadt had her talk marred by SJP protesters who literally manifested her thesis by equating her with the Israeli govt. As if it needs to be said, holding all Jews collectively responsible in this manner is #antiSemitic. https://t.co/abqqni6iag
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) February 18, 2020
StandWithUs CEO and Co-Founder Roz Rothstein similarly tweeted, “Deborah Lipstadt’s talk at @UCBerkeley disrupted by anti-Israel protesters. Why? She wasnt talking about #Israel. So, Why? Because she is a Jew? Yes. So here we see that anti-Zionism and antisemitism are in fact, related.”
Deborah Lipstadt's talk at @UCBerkeley disrupted by anti-Israel protesters. Why? She wasnt talking about #Israel. So, Why? Because she is a Jew? Yes. So here we see that anti-Zionism and antisemitism are in fact, related. https://t.co/F5OTe860xX
— Roz Rothstein (@RozRothstein) February 18, 2020
UC Berkeley Assistant Vice Chancellor of Executive Communications Dan Mogulof wrote in an email to the Journal the protesters’ actions were “a sad, unfortunate sign of the times that there would be opposition to an academic lecture on anti-Semitism. The protest appears to be another indication of the extent to which those who oppose Israel’s actions fail to distinguish between that government’s policies, the Jewish people and the Jewish religion.”
However, he added that the protesters did not disrupt Lipstadt’s lecture, stating, “While they were certainly a distraction, the protesters were silent and did not obstruct the view of the podium and, as a result did not violate campus policies or the law. This was expression protected by the First Amendment, but we still regret it occurred. There are a growing number of anti-Semitic incidents in the US and abroad — a horrible phenomenon that requires understanding if it is to be successfully confronted. We struggle to understand why anyone would oppose that.”
