Chancellor Carol Christ’s response to the September 2021 letter from the Anti-Defamation League

Chancellor Carol Christ issued the following statement on Wednesday:

On September 1st the Anti-Defamation League informed the campus about social media content posted by a UC Berkeley lecturer that raises understandable concerns about the content’s connection to antisemitic tropes. While the content in question is constitutionally protected expression, as a member of this community, I believe that political expression invoking imagery associated with historical antisemitism does not contribute to a constructive discussion about the conflict in the Middle East, and is inconsistent with UC Berkeley’s Principles of Community. While I do not believe that all criticism of Israel’s governmental policies is inherently antisemitic, we will continue to make every effort to foster discourse that does not rely on the use of crude imagery or other forms of expression that may not be consistent with our Principles of Community.

UC Berkeley unequivocally supports the University of California Regents’, “Principles Against Intolerance”, which are clear in their general condemnation of bias, hatred, prejudice and discrimination. We also adhere to and strongly support their specific statement that, “antisemitism and other forms of discrimination have no place in the University.”