New York University (NYU) School of Law has told the Journal that they will not be hosting the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism鈥檚 (ICSZ) upcoming conference on campus.
The ICSZ鈥檚 website had stated their conference, 鈥淏attling the 鈥業HRA definition鈥�: Theory & Activism鈥� is being held at UC Santa Cruz on October 13 and NYU Law on October 14. However, a spokesperson for NYU Law told the Journal on August 31, 鈥淲e will not and have never committed to hosting this event.鈥� As of publication time, the ICSZ鈥檚 website that the conference is being held at NYU, not NYU Law. But a spokesperson for NYU told the Journal on September 1 that 鈥渨e are unaware of any space request related to this event other than the one submitted to the Law School by a student group 鈥� the student group had, in fact, never received confirmation for the space they sought, and have been told that space is not available.鈥�
David Bernstein, founder of the 91传媒 Institute for Liberal Values (JILV) and author of 鈥淲oke Antisemitism,鈥� told the Journal that the NYU Cinema Studies Department has since revoked their sponsorship of the ICSZ conference (Dana Polan, who chairs the NYU Cinema Studies Department, confirmed this to the Journal) and that Bernstein and JILV Director of Academic Affairs Marcy Braverman Goldstein sent a letter making a similar request to UC Santa Cruz (UCSC). The August 30 letter, obtained by the Journal, notes that UCSC鈥檚 Center for Racial Justice and Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Department are both listed as sponsors for the event.
鈥淭he conference planners are requiring participants to take a political litmus test as a condition of admittance,鈥� Bernstein and Goldstein wrote. 鈥淭he promotional material states that 鈥楢ll registrants will be asked to confirm their agreement with the points of unity beforehand.鈥� The first 鈥榩oint of unity鈥� states that 鈥榋ionism is a settler colonial racial project. Like the US, Israel is a settler colonial state. The Institute opposes Zionism and colonialism.鈥� In other words, any student or faculty member who does not share that ideological stance is not invited to attend this university-sponsored program. Welcoming 鈥榗omrades who are involved in this work鈥� underscores the planners鈥� intention to exclude based on political viewpoint.鈥� Bernstein and Goldstein argued that such a litmus test violates university policy and urged the university 鈥渢o immediately withdraw sponsorship from this event.鈥�
StandWithUs CEO and Co-Founder Roz Rothstein, Saidoff Legal Department Director Yael Lerman, and Center for Combating Antisemitism Director Carly Gammill on Friday, arguing that UCSC departments鈥� sponsorships of the ICSZ鈥檚 鈥減oints of unity鈥� litmus test would violate state and federal law. StandWithUs also argued that the ICSZ鈥檚 conference is 鈥渁ntisemitic and divisive.鈥� 鈥淚CSZ and its conference exist to oppose Zionism, the existence of Israel, and the Jews who support the movement,鈥� Rothstein, Lerman and Gammill wrote. 鈥淚n 鈥榮tudying鈥� Zionism, ICSZ dehumanizes Jews by falsely comparing a central component of their identity to some of the great evils of the world鈥撯�搒ettler-colonialism, racism, and white supremacy鈥撯�搘hile disregarding the fact that Jews are a diverse ethnic and religious minority who are the target of white supremacists and others鈥� racism, violence, and even genocide.鈥� StandWithUs called on UCSC to denounce the conference and require that the ICSZ remove their 鈥減oints of unity鈥� litmus test.
Scott Hernandez-Jason, assistant vice chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, said in a statement to the Journal, 鈥淯C Santa Cruz does not endorse the upcoming conference organized by the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism.聽We note that the conference organizers no longer require individuals to confirm their agreement with the Institute鈥檚 鈥榩oints of unity鈥� before registering.鈥� The ICSZ鈥檚 website : 鈥淲e invite you to read the Institute鈥檚聽聽which are the basis for the Institute鈥檚 research community.鈥�
Hernandez-Jason added: 鈥淲e are vigorous proponents of free inquiry and the free exchange of ideas, and believe that more speech is the best approach to countering speech we find troubling. Both by policy and in practice, the university rigorously honors the freedom to present the widest range of viewpoints irrespective of agreement on those viewpoints.聽Amid a sharp rise in antisemitism in the United States, we urge our campus community to understand the impact of their individual views and the expressions of those views on others in the community.鈥�
The ICSZ did not respond to the Journal鈥檚 requests for comment.
