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Alan Dershowitz Praises UC Berkeley Chancellor for Condemnation of Anti-Semitic Cartoon

Student paper published anti-Semitic cartoon featuring Dershowitz

Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz / Getty Images
October 25, 2017

Alan Dershowitz praised the chancellor of the University of California-Berkeley for her condemnation of the student paper's publication of an "anti-Semitic" cartoon depicting the famous lawyer, and called for the cartoonist to be fired.

"There must be a single standard for criticizing all forms of bigotry. The chancellor would have criticized a racist, sexist, homophobic, or anti-Muslim cartoon. [Carol Christ] was right to criticize the anti-Semitic one," Dershowitz told the Washington Free Beacon.

The drawing in the Daily Californian shows Dershowitz touting the "liberal case for Israel," a popular line of the Harvard Law School professor. But, out of view of Dershowitz's cartoon audience, he is drawn abusing Palestinian activists, one squashed underneath his foot, the other bleeding in Dershowitz's hand, shot by miniature a soldier labeled "IDF," or Israel Defense Force.

Christ's letter to the editor, first published by the Daily Wire, read:

To the editor:

Your recent editorial cartoon targeting Alan Dershowitz was offensive, appalling, and deeply disappointing. I condemn its publication. Are you aware that its anti-Semitic imagery connects to the centuries-old "blood libel" that falsely accused Jews of engaging in ritual murder? I cannot recall anything similar in the Daily Cal, and I call on the paper's editors to reflect on whether they would sanction a similar assault on other ethnic or religious groups. We cannot build a campus community where everyone feels safe, respected and welcome if hatred and the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes become an acceptable part of our discourse.

Dershowitz said the paper should not continue to publish student cartoonist Joel Mayorga's work.

"They wouldn't publish a cartoonist who drew sexist or other bigoted cartoons. They would fire him," said Dershowitz. "The same standards must apply."

Mayorga did not immediately respond to the Free Beacon's request for comment.

The director of UC Berkeley's Hillel Jewish center, Rabbi Adam Naftalin-Kelman, has offered to educate the paper's staff on the history and current state of anti-Semitism in the United States.

"There should be no excuse or rationalization for why this cartoon is 'simply' a critique of Israeli policy or the speaker's opinion," wrote Naftalin-Kelman in a letter published by the Daily Californian.

Daily Californian staffers declined to comment on Christ's censure of their work.

Published under: Anti-Semitism , California