Neither the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nor Mahatma Gandhi whined whenever they were jailed. They knew they violated the local burg’s usually unjust laws; endured their punishment like adults; and never blamed the Jews.
Not so the 11 overgrown delinquents who disrupted Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren’s speech at the University of California, Irvine, last Feb. 8. They might have violated criminal laws common to all 50 states; bawled about facing charges for their deeds; and - you’ll never guess - blamed the Jews.
The UCI incident is among the latest of tasteless tactics employed by anti-Israel activists during the last several years, and some of those acts amounted to criminal offenses which usually were not dealt with sufficiently. Until now.
Campus police arrested these students, eight of whom attend UCI, and will forward an investigative report to the Orange County District Attorney’s office, which will decide whether to press misdemeanor charges of disrupting a lawful meeting, explained UCI spokeswoman Cathy Lawhon.
In the Canadian province of Ontario, a joint police agency is investigating Toronto’s Salman Hossain for posting bigoted rantings on an Internet site where he urges yet another Jewish genocide in Canada, the United States and Europe.
Finally, two law enforcement agencies in North America are doing what should have been attempted long ago. Little or nothing was done when anti-Israel protesters periodically violated the law. Now these agencies have initiated the investigative process that would compel any lawbreakers to face justice.
Of course, prosecution of possible crimes is always necessary. It deters more crimes like it. We recognize that there is no guarantee that these probes will lead to convictions, but at least they have taken the necessary first steps.
The UCI case has already shaken up the pro-Arab side. In early March, students at a speak out claimed that the “Irvine 11” was exercising its freedom of speech. A group called Stand with the Eleven issued a news release the following week accusing “external Zionist organizations” of influencing the university.
The release stated, “We call for an immediate investigation into the communications and agreements between UC leadership, including President Mark Yudoff, and external Zionist organizations that threaten the academic futures of the ‘Irvine 11’ and derail the academic freedom of all UC students.”
Their concept of freedom of speech and academic freedom was to spread through the audience of 500 or more and interrupt Oren 10 times as he tried to address the crowd. “Israel is a murderer,” one shouted. “How many Palestinians did you kill?” cried another. Under Pennsylvania criminal laws, a case could probably be built on charges of disorderly conduct, harassment and conspiracy. California no doubt has comparable laws on the books.
The eight students at UCI also face disciplinary action which could include a warning, behavioral probation, suspension or dismissal, Lawhon said. They were cited with violations of the student conduct code and received a letter detailing the violations. They were slated to meet with the chief judicial officer in Student Affairs, who must make a determination as to their consequences, she added. The process is confidential.
If these suspects did nothing wrong, then why should they worry about being investigated?
A few thousand miles to the northeast, Salman Hossain of Toronto is being investigated for recent Web site postings where he urged that “a genocide should be perpetuated against the Jewish populations of North America and Europe,” according to the Toronto-based National Post. He calls moderate Canadian Muslims “traitors,” berates Christians and refers to Jews as “the scum of the earth” and “mass murderers.”
Hossain posted on an Arizona-based Internet site called www.filthyjewishterrorists.com where he also wrote, “No one in this world can take our history away from us. Especially not the cancerous group of people calling themselves Jews or Judeo-Christians who are going to be genocided in the near future.”
Hossain is being investigated by the Hate Crimes Extremism Investigative Team, which is composed of representatives of 13 Ontario Province municipal police forces, spokesman Abbee Corb confirmed to The National Post.
According to the newspaper, Canada’s hate crimes law bars support or promotion of genocide as well as the communication of statements that willfully promote hatred against an identifiable group, with the exception of what is said in private conversation. Under Pennsylvania laws, a case might be made for committing the offense called “terroristic threats.”
Hossain was unrepentent in an e-mail exchange with a Post reporter, stating, “Your hate laws are only being used to stop the truth from being spoken. I don’t fear telling the truth and I don’t answer to racist genocidal Jews who want to call ME a hater, when Jews hate ALL NON-JEWS. It’s not my fault you people rape babies, then cry foul when someone exposes it.”
The pro-Arab side might readily question if there are Jews who break the laws in these situations. They can point to a break-in and minor degree of vandalism inside the quarters of a Muslim student organization at Brandeis University in suburban Boston. One can wonder if the culprits are pro-Israel hardliners since Brandeis is a heavily Jewish institution.
We have no idea if the offenders at Brandeis are Jewish, and whoever did it should be prosecuted. Criminal conduct cannot be tolerated no matter who commits the offenses. However, most who engage in offensive and sometimes criminal behavior in this conflict advocate for the Arabs.
It is a relief that Orange County authorities are sending them a blunt message. Let’s hope they heed it.
Bruce S. Ticker is a freelance journalist from Philadelphia. He can contacted at Bticker@comcast.net.
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