A Jewish student responds to the charge of anti-Semitism at UC Santa Cruz http://mondoweiss.net/2011/03/a-jewish-student-responds-to-the-charge-of-anti-semitism-at-uc-santa-cruz.html

I am a University of California - Santa Cruz (UCSC) student of Jewish heritage and I feel it is important to share another perspective on the allegations of an anti-Semitic atmosphere on campus made in a June 2009 complaint that led to the launching of an investigation by the Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office this week. While I wholeheartedly agree that accusations of discrimination against students based on religion, ethnicity, or anything else are extremely serious and should be responded to, I also categorically reject the argument raised in the complaint that speaking out on Israeli policy regarding the Palestinian people is tantamount to anti-Semitism.

Since 2009 I have been involved in a student-led Palestinian awareness group on campus. The focus of our group has always been to educate the student body about the well-documented human rights abuses that Palestinians (also a Semitic people) experience in the Occupied Territories, Israel, and refugee camps around the world, and to discuss their cultural heritage and struggle for self-determination. 

The 2009 complaint, however, described us as a group that "hates Israel", has “anti-Semitic activities and messages”, and “calls for the destruction of the Jewish state”.I cannot express how wrong and offensive I find this assessment of our work to be, especially given my identity as a Jewish student with my own unique relationship with and feelings towards the state of Israel. I also know that some of the Palestinian members of our organization are very upset that their desire to share the experiences of their families and people has resulted in their being labeled as anti-Semitic.