Simon Wiesenthal Center Calls on UCLA to Cancel Students for Justice in Palestine Event

February 8, 2023

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is denouncing national hate group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJPS) who are preparing to host their upcoming annual conference titled “Cultivating the Future: A United Student Movement” at UCLA in from February 17-19. The conference will be keeping in line with the same goals: to demonize the State of Israel and Zionist students on college campuses.

“This is a time of continuing anti-Semitic rhetoric on social media and on our campuses and unprecedented hate crimes across the US against Jews. Such hatred is often incited by extreme anti-Israel rhetoric that long ago went beyond protests against Israeli policies – to the big lies of apartheid and colonization. The SJPS are on record for using such venomous rhetoric in past conferences. One trope often repeated is the screed that what the Nazis did to the Jews in the 1930s and 40s, Israel is doing to the Palestinians today,” stated Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action.

Cooper added that “UCLA’s Chancellor Gene Block has a moral obligation to do two things.

#1. Express his appreciation for and solidarity with UCLA faculty and students who are proud Zionists. Starting with renowned Professor Judea Pearl and his team would be a good place to start.

#2. Putting SJPS on notice that they will be accountable for behavior and rhetoric that violates UCLA’s historic position as a place for open inquiry and debate, not vilification and demonization.”

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Shawn Rodgers at srodgers@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization numbering over 400.000 members. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).