A California student leader is asking one university body to publicly apologize for attacking the nation of Israel.
Student leaders at the University of California have sent a letter to the school's Student Association (UCSA), condemning the group for accusing Israel of racism (see earlier story). The UCSA recently condemned HR 35, a state resolution passed by the California Assembly that asks colleges and universities to stop anti-Semitism and anti-Israel protests. Jewish students said their input was deliberately excluded, while Palestinian students were invited to speak at the meeting on the issue.
David Bocarsly, UCLA student body president, believes an apology is in order.
"The big thing is we would like them to issue a public apology. When you're making a statement on behalf of 220,000 students when they're expecting you to represent them, and thousands across the state feel marginalized and unsafe because of a statement that you made, I think it's very important that the same body correct the record and admit that they made a mistake and that this isn't going to happen in the future," he comments.
The UCSA resolution accuses Israel of violating human rights and asks universities and colleges to divest from the nation. But Bocarsly asserts that the UCSA was inconsiderate of the population it is supposed to represent.