“The Rhetoric Department... sponsored a talk titled “Anti-Zionism Is Not a Luxury.””

“The event was promoted as one that “articulates and embraces an affirmative anti-Zionism,” calls for “the end of a Zionist world,” and presents anti-Zionism as “a vital necessity of existence.””

“Since October 7, 2023, it has sponsored or co-sponsored more than a dozen similarly one-sided anti-Israel events, raising an obvious question: Why would a rhetoric department become a reliable sponsor of activist programming?”

“Half of Berkeley Rhetoric’s faculty, including the chair and other senior leaders, signed a statement issued just days after Hamas’ attack on Israel that openly took sides in the war — declaring solidarity “without hesitation” with those “who fight for justice in Palestine,” endorsing an academic boycott of Israeli universities, and omitting any mention of Hamas’ massacre of Israeli civilians.”

“According to recent research, from fall 2023 through spring 2025, 34 Berkeley departments sponsored or co-sponsored 40 Israel-related events with an anti-Israel bias, and none without.”

“The ten Berkeley departments that sponsored the most anti-Israel events were all led by faculty who had publicly backed an academic boycott of Israel.”

“At Berkeley, documented incidents targeting Jewish members of the campus community for harm increased by 531% in the two academic years after October 7.”