A Berkeley professor moved into his office for a “sit-in” after accusing the Northern California school of an “inability to make difficult and important decisions” regarding anti-Semitism on campus, according to reports.
Professor Ron Hassner, the school's Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies, brought a sleeping bag to his office Thursday after writing a letter to UC Chancellor Carol Christ and Chancellor Benjamin Hermalin.
“If my students feel they cannot safely walk across campus without being intimidated, then I will not cross campus either,” Hassner wrote, according to The Jewish News of Northern California.
“I'm thinking that maybe by doing this (giving the students some hope, showing them that someone cares, that the door is open, there's a light in the window, come over, let's talk) I can avoid the next disaster.” .
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Berkeley professor Ron Hassner is staging a “sit-in” against anti-Semitism by moving into his office. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
In a separate letter to students posted on antisemitism. He told The Jewish News that eight colleagues have so far agreed to start teaching their classes on Zoom in support of him.
“I will remain in my office until we take the necessary measures to prevent violence between students,” he added. “I will teach, eat and sleep in my office. My office will be open at all hours of the day and night, weekdays and weekends, to all students who do not feel safe or who have been subjected to anti-Semitic abuse. or who want to chat.
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“I will also leave a light on in my office window at all times, so that every student passing by on Bancroft Ave. can see that at least one faculty member sleeps as poorly at night as they do.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Berkeley's People's Park in January, not far from campus. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Berkeley and other universities have been the target of anti-Semitic attacks since Hamas launched an unprovoked attack on Israel in October, starting the war.
“Unlike recent protests, my protest is non-confrontational, non-violent and legal,” Hassner added. “It will be easy to ignore, especially in the first few weeks before visitors and the media find me and my office in a rather disheveled state. After that, it will become an increasingly embarrassing public display of the inability of the university to make difficult and important decisions.
UC Berkeley students walk through Sather Gate on the UC Berkeley campus on April 17, 2007, in Berkeley, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Hassner wrote in his letter to the administration that he is “very frightened” by a planned protest by pro-Israel students who are expected to march Monday toward the school's Sather Gate, which pro-Palestinian protesters have been blocking for a month. , according to The Jews. News.
In October, Hassner and a Middle Eastern studies professor at the school sent a joint letter to students saying that while they “vehemently disagree,” they still treat each other with “respect and dignity” and were “heartbroken to learn of incidents of near violence between students in recent days. We will not tolerate our students harming each other.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Berkeley and Hassner for comment.
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The school told The Jewish News that it “remains committed to fostering an environment conducive to robust freedom of expression and in which all members of its community feel they can participate in campus life without fear of harassment. The administration is committed to confronting anti-Semitism and arrests Professor Hassner is greatly appreciated and we spoke to him about his concerns.
