A few heated exchanges erupted as author and actress Noa Tishby, who serves as Israel’s Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel, visited UC Berkeley on October 13 to engage in a dialogue with students about Israel. While some students refused to engage, Jewish students were thrilled to see Tishby.
Tishby, who was born in Tel Aviv, sat at a table in Sproul Plaza, set up by campus pro-Israel group Tikvah, which had a sign that blared, “Anti-Zionism is antisemitism.” In light of the nine student groups at Berkeley Law who recently passed bylaws stating they would never invite a Zionist speaker to campus, some of the conversations became heated.
Yesterday @noatishby came to UC Berkeley to talk to students in the main plaza in front of a sign saying “Anti-Zionism is antisemitism.” Here’s what happened… pic.twitter.com/P1xFZcaqjj
— Aaron Bandler (@bandlersbanter) October 14, 2022
One student told Tishby that he viewed Zionism as being inherently anti-Palestinian and kept repeating that claim despite Tishby’s insistence that one can be both a Zionist and supportive of the Palestinians. During the exchange, Tishby told him that Palestinians have the same rights as Jews in Israel and have more rights than they would in other Arab countries. The student replied by telling Tishby, “I thought you were educated. You are the dumbest motherf—er I’ve ever seen” and accused her of having “blood on your hands.”
One student kept telling Tishby that Zionism is inherently anti-Palestinian. When she told him that Palestinians have the same rights as Jews in Israel and have more rights than they would in Arab countries, the student calls her the “dumbest motherfucker” he had ever talked to. pic.twitter.com/OXWAf0g4xv
— Aaron Bandler (@bandlersbanter) October 14, 2022
Same student then accuses Tishby of having “blood on your hands.” pic.twitter.com/fuehwcA4uS
— Aaron Bandler (@bandlersbanter) October 14, 2022
Another student accused Tishby of spreading racism but refused to elaborate when pressed.
Another student accuses Tishby of spreading racism but wouldn’t provide evidence when pressed pic.twitter.com/64FnAcYWK4
— Aaron Bandler (@bandlersbanter) October 14, 2022
“It’s very hard to have a conversation when the facts don’t matter,” Tishby told the Journal.
Tishby had other exchanges with students who disagreed with her but were more civil. One student told Tishby that he didn’t think Israel was “living up to its responsibilities” to justify the United States sending billions of taxpayer dollars to the Jewish state. He explained that he didn’t like the West Bank being broken up into Areas A, B and C and was concerned that Israel would annex the West Bank entirely. Tishby got the student to acknowledge that Israel has the right to exist, prompting her to tell him that means he’s a Zionist.
Another student said that he didn’t think Israel isn’t living up to its responsibilities to be worthy of billions in US aid. Tishby asks if Israel has a right to exist and the student says yes. Tishby then tells him this means he’s a Zionist pic.twitter.com/hTDZhdEmji
— Aaron Bandler (@bandlersbanter) October 14, 2022
“When you break it down and you explain to people what Zionism is, a lot of them are like, ‘Yeah I’m ok with Jewish self-determination,’” Tishby told the Journal. “But they’re selling Zionism as this horrible movement, and that’s the problem. It’s done on purpose.”
Others weren’t interested in a dialogue.
“Outside of a couple heated conversations… most people don’t want to talk to me,” Tishby said. “Literally they’ll walk by the sign, they’ll say, ‘Oh this is stupid.’ And I’ll be like, ‘Hi, would you like to have a conversation?’ And they’re like, ‘Nope.’ It’s really interesting that this is Berkeley, which is supposed to be the frontline of liberal progressive ideas, and people don’t want to engage.”
At one point, three students across from the Tikvah sign incessantly chanted, “Viva viva Palestina!”––Spanish for “Long live Palestine”––and Tishby, on several occasions, asked them if they wanted to discuss their political differences. The chanting didn’t stop, outside of one of the students saying they wouldn’t discuss their views as long as cameras were running. When Tishby agreed that she would turn the cameras off for a dialogue, the students just responded with the chant. Tishby later offered some water to the students, who again just continued with their chanting.
Three students kept chanting “Viva via Palestina!” When Tishby asked if they wanted to discuss their differences, they refused as long as cameras were on. Tishby offered to turn the cameras off for a dialogue, but they just kept chanting pic.twitter.com/GrqxnbZ3jF
— Aaron Bandler (@bandlersbanter) October 14, 2022
Tishby later offered these students some water. They just kept chanting pic.twitter.com/OB6XjnNExT
— Aaron Bandler (@bandlersbanter) October 14, 2022
Berkeley undergraduate student Amir Grunhaus, who heads Tikvah, told the Journal that after the bylaws were passed, the group “wanted to stand up for what we believe in and show that they won’t be able to silence us.” “I think it’s great that we’re getting to engage in some dialogue with students that might have opposing views,” Grunhaus said. “That was the sole goal and purpose of this. We are always very open to dialogue.” Grunhaus said that “spaces where Zionists are not welcome are spaces where the majority of Jews are not welcome.” He also lauded Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and other Berkeley Law faculty for speaking out against the bylaws, but called for more action. “We want to see faculty and administration standing up and saying, ‘This is discrimination against Jews, this is wrong, and you cannot pass these bylaws,’” Grunhaus said.
Shay Cohen, a Berkeley undergraduate student senator, told the Journal that while there aren’t any “literal” Jewish-free zones at Berkeley Law, “that is what these groups are implying when they’re putting bylaws that forbid or don’t host any pro-Israel speakers. That sends a message to Jewish students that they are not welcome there.” She said that the Berkeley administration reached out to her several times about the matter and acknowledged her concerns, but Cohen wants to see the university speak out more publicly against the bylaws. Cohen also pointed out that the sole post about the matter on the Berkeley Law Instagram page was their claim that there are no Jewish-free zones on campus. “It’s pinned on their Instagram. They failed to acknowledge anything else that is concerning about this issue and only acknowledged the fact that that title might have been a little misleading,” Cohen said, adding that it showed that the administration only cared about staving off backlash on the matter. She called for “institutional change” on campus that requires students to be better educated on Zionism.
Tishby told the Journal that her appearance on campus “turned into a show of pride and unity and fun and Zionist pride and Israel pride.” “Jewish students on campus feel uncomfortable,” Tishby said, adding that “they are extremely grateful” that she came to campus. “Even just being able to be Jewishly proud on campus at this particular moment in time was extremely important for them and I’m happy I was able to provide that for them.”
I was also able to interview Tishby. She told me that Jewish students were very grateful that she was there pic.twitter.com/Wi3njeVAuV
— Aaron Bandler (@bandlersbanter) October 14, 2022
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