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Friday June 14, 2002

Simon, Davis trade barbs on climate of state campuses

ALEZA GOLDSMITH
Bulletin Staff

Public funds are being utilized to foment the rising anti-Semitic climate at California's public universities, according to the Republican candidate for governor.

"We, the taxpayers of California, have been funding this revolting culture of hate against the Jewish people on our college campuses," said Republican candidate Bill Simon in a recent statement. "We are putting our students in danger, disallowing true freedom of speech and promoting terrorism."

In the statement, Simon urges incumbent Gov. Gray Davis to "stop the use of public funds and public facilities for hate inspired activities" and calls for him "to use his office to condemn forcefully this despicable behavior."

But Gabriel Sanchez, Davis' deputy press secretary, called Simon's statement "a cheap political ploy" that is "not founded in fact." It "is uninformed and muddles issues that people take very seriously.

"The University of California and Board of Regents is independent of California government," he said. Davis, meanwhile has "done everything in his power to fight hate crimes and hate groups," including the allocation of $2 million for hate crime training in public schools and the strengthening of hate crime law, Sanchez added.

After Sanchez' interview with the Bulletin, Davis issued his own statement calling for "tolerance and civil discourse" on California's college campuses. In it he refers to "increasing reports of destructive and violent pro-Palestinian acts" at the universities.

"While I respect the individuals' rights of free speech and civil discourse this behavior is unacceptable and unjustifiable," said Davis. "Violence against fellow Californians is not an expression of free speech. Current actions in the Middle East and differences in opinion should not be used as an excuse for acting out in violent and hateful ways."

In the statement from Simon, meanwhile, the Republican candidate specifically refers to a May 7 Israel rally that turned sour at San Francisco State University's Malcolm X Plaza, describing it as a "near-riot." At that rally, "hate-filled counter-demonstrators interrupted a rally by Jewish students in support of Israel."

Simon criticizes SFSU President Robert A. Corrigan for taking a week to respond to the incident, calling it "an unacceptable delay."

He also harshly criticizes a blood-libel poster that was found on the SFSU campus in April and claims it was paid for by the SFSU student government. Simon says this is just "one example of many."

According to Jim Collier, SFSU's vice president of university advancement, Simon's charges are absolutely untrue.

"No tax dollars and to the best of the university's knowledge, no student organization funds were used to pay for the flier," he said recently. "It is unfortunate that candidate Simon was unable to check the facts before issuing his May 30 statement."

Furthermore, he called it an "exaggerated statement that a near-riot took place on our campus" and invited Simon "to join with us as we move forward to ensure that this county is safe from bigotry, fear and any form of racism."

Simon's statement also criticizes the "Politics and Poetics of Palestinian Resistance" course description at U.C. Berkeley, charging that it attempts to spread the "dogma" that "the brutal Israeli military occupation of Palestine...has systematically displaced, killed and maimed millions of Palestinian people." He especially criticizes a line in the course description that "conservative thinkers are encouraged to seek other sections." Such a statement, later excised, tramples on students' civil rights, Simon charges.

As Californians and Americans, the statement says, "we believe in the right to different beliefs and academic freedom. This does not mean threats of violence and bigotry can be allowed."

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