Shocking video footage has captured the moment anti-Israel student protesters disrupted a dinner at the home of a Jewish dean honoring Berkeley Law School graduates and taunting the Jewish state.
What was supposed to be a celebratory event for graduating students quickly turned into an Israeli-Hamas war after students disrupted an event hosted by Berkeley Law School Dean Irwin Chemerinsky and his wife, Professor Katherine Fisk. It turned into a disturbing confrontation over the issue. backyard.
Law student Malak Afaneh is seen in the video. widely shared on social mediaHe stood up and delivered the traditional Islamic greeting in Arabic, meaning “peace and blessings to you,” before demanding that the university be divested from companies funding Israel’s role in the war. .
Afaneh, who was wearing a white “divest” shirt, a black and white keffiyeh around her neck and a red hijab, was soon approached by Chemerinsky and Fisk, who both asked her to leave.
“Leave. No, leave. Please leave,” Chemerinsky interjected as his wife tried to grab the microphone, saying, “This is not your home. This is mine.” It’s my home, so I want you to leave.”
The situation then escalates, with Afaneh and Fisk wrestling over the microphone and another student accusing Fisk of becoming “aggressive.”
“We refuse to break our fast against Palestinian blood,” Afaneh later declares, while Fisk pleads, “You were not invited for that purpose.”
“There’s a genocide going on,” a third student exclaimed during the clash.
In a statement released by Berkeley Law, Chemerinsky said he “never imagined that what we do to help our communities would turn out to be so ugly and divisive.”
“The dinner intended to celebrate the graduates was clearly disrupted and disrupted. Such rude students came into my house and backyard and used this social gathering for their own political agenda. We deeply regret this,” the statement continued.
The educator also revealed that he had been the target of anti-Semitic harassment at the university the previous week, where he said, “No dinner with Zionist chemistry while Gaza is starving.” A caricature of him holding a bloody knife and fork with the words ” written on it was posted on campus.
“I never expected to see such blatant anti-Semitism, invoking the horrific anti-Semitic trope of bloody libel and accompanying images attacking me for no apparent reason other than being Jewish. I didn’t either,” he said.
“These responsible students made the student government leaders say that if they did not cancel the dinner, they would protest. I was sorry to hear this, but we are not afraid. I have made it clear that the dinner will be held for anyone who wishes to attend. I have said that I do not believe any protests will be disruptive.”
Chemerinsky said about 60 students attended the April 9 gala dinner.
In another video of the incident, Fisk can be heard saying, “I agree with you about what’s going on in Palestine,” as some students leave.
“So what did you do about divestment? Nothing. Nothing,” said another student as he walked away.
“We don’t control the investments,” Fisk replies.
Afane said. Los Angeles Times She felt assaulted by Fisk and was considering filing charges.
“When I said this, she lunged at me, so that aggressiveness.”As-salamu alaykum. “She saw my hijab and keffiyeh, and it was dangerous for her,” Ms. Afaneh said.
Meanwhile, Chemerinsky also held a dinner for students on Wednesday night and is planning another one for Thursday, this time with security.
“Students who are disruptive will be reported to the Student Code of Conduct, and violations of the Student Code of Conduct will be reported to court,” he said in a statement.
“I have spent my career staunchly defending free speech. In my years as dean, I have worked hard to build a warm and inclusive community,” he continued. Ta.
“I am deeply saddened by these incidents and take comfort in the fact that only a small number of students behave in this clearly inappropriate manner.”
