Open Letter to Berkeley Student Organizations and Donors We were shocked and infuriated to hear that last week nine student groups at University of California, Berkeley adopted a by-law to ban Jewish Zionists from speaking at their organizations. Below is the open letter that we prepared to send to the organizations participating in Jew-hate in the form of an “open letter” posted in the Berkeley student newspaper: “The Daily Cal.” We were denied the advertising space that we were prepared to pay for by the Daily Cal editorial board. Apparently, the facts we presented do not fit their narrative. Their representative actually told us, “I think the ‘Facts’ are the issue.” Indisputable facts are now no longer allowed to be discussed at what used to be one of this country’s most respected academic institutions? The organizations adopting the antisemitic by-law include: Berkeley Law Muslim Student Association Middle Eastern Law Students Association North African Law Students Association The Womxn of Color Collective Queer Caucus Asian Pacific American Law Students Association Community Defense Project Women of Berkeley Law Law Students of African Descent Open Letter to Berkeley student organizations and donors, We were deeply disturbed to hear about a by-law your organization recently adopted banning Jews from speaking at your events. We have a few facts we would like to present for your consideration regarding this new by-law. Below, we present some facts about life in Arab-ruled areas of the Middle East. **Warning, the videos we linked to contain brutal and disturbing scenes, but they are real. Please use discretion when watching. Fact: Gays and LGBQT are tortured and killed in Gaza, and in the 2/3rds of Judea & Samaria (Areas A & B), which is being occupied by the terrorist Palestinian Authority terrorist group, and have to escape to non-PA controlled areas to survive. Gays in Gaza and in Areas A & B, within Judea & Samaria are literally thrown off roofs by other Arabs in public. Fact: Women not allowed to leave their house without the permission of their husband or male child. Fact: Women are not allowed to vote even in their undemocratic “sham” elections. An election has not been held for the Palestinian-Authority in nearly 15 years. Fact: Women are not allowed to hold jobs without their father’s or husband’s permission. Fact: Women are not allowed to deny sex to their husband at any time. Fact: If a woman isn’t a virgin at marriage, her own family must stone her. Fact: In the case of rape, the woman (victim) is the one stoned to death. Fact: People of color are treated as “less than,” denied equal treatment and protection under the law, and even sold into slavery. Fact: Animals are horribly mistreated. We at Shields of David support freedom and the first amendment right to free expression. But we ask you to consider the repercussions of your actions on your members (specifically gay and female people), and the greater Jewish and Zionist members of the community. Being hostile towards Jews and any ally of Israel poses physical threats; many Jews and pro-Israel supporters in general have been assaulted on campuses nation-wide. Does this by-law really support these marginalized people OR your organization’s own members? We know that respectful discourse towards understanding the truth is a value worth pursuing, which is why we decided to write this letter. We respectfully invite you to reconsider this by-law. If creating a Jewish-Free zone in your organization feels antisemitic, it is probably because it is just that. And we don’t think that antisemitism is a good look for any organization, especially ones that claim not to discriminate. Sincerely, Dr. Eli Ben-Moshe and Brian Blacher, Co-Founders, Shields of David