US university campuses are the new battlegrounds. Claiming free speech privileges, the pro-Hamas protesters use the language that can only be described as virulently antisemitic. The Voltairean principle implies that even this speech must be tolerated, but have these protesters crossed over into the unlawful territory? Dr. Nir Hoftman, an anesthesiologist at UCLA, went to visit the pro-Hamas encampment on campus. This is a summary of what he encountered there.
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Brock Coalition Against Antisemitism 
Here’s a follow-up, gleaned from Afshine Emrani @ Facebook :
From Doctor Kamran Shamsa who has been assaulted at UCLA without any response from the administration.
… In the weeks and months after the October 7th massacre in Israel there were many instances of antisemitic posts on social media, discussions in classes, and intimidation of Jewish students in the undergraduate, graduate, and medical school at UCLA. These have been well documented by others, with support group for students set up through Hillel and Jewish faculty organizations. UCLA as an institution never addressed this ongoing and pervasive antisemitism faced by students and faculty with a concrete plan, but only non-committal emails that simply acknowledged the problem. On February 15th, despite numerous emails and warnings by Jewish faculty in the department of medicine over the invitation of speaker Dr. Karthi Sivashanker, Vice president of Equitable Health system for AMA, allowed a known speaker with extreme views in support for Palestinian cause on various social media platforms, to present Grand Rounds at UCLA. His presentation was a one-sided view of the conflict in Gaza, with cartoons that portrayed Israel and the Jewish people the cause of all the Palestinian suffering, not once mentioning the October 7th massacre as the instigating factor of the ongoing conflict. Jewish faculty were not allowed to question him directly after the session which is customary, and his presentation and slides were never uploaded for future viewing, which had always been done in the past. There were no apology, explanation, or response to the Jewish faculty who made complaints about this propaganda talk under the disguise of DEI.
As a faculty in the school of medicine, with responsibility to teach medical students routinely, I was appalled to find out on March 27th there was a speaker as part of DEI curriculum, Lisa Gray-Garcia, with known extreme views which included referring to October 7th massacre “just,” to give a mandatory lecture to first year medical students. It is reported in the media, and confirmed to me by medical students who attended the session, that they were forced to chant “Free, free Palestine.” It is even more appalling that the course director, a UCLA physician, was present at the talk and did not try to stop it. Many students, including Jewish students, were appalled and fearful after this talk for what the medical school had forced them to partake. This is not education, this is indoctrination.
Since the unlawful encampment by “pro-Palestinian” group on April 25th, I visited the area to witness what was happening on my beloved campus that I had spent most of my life. I saw protestors holding signs that read “Zionism is genocide” and “free Palestine from the hand of Jews,” graffiti on the wall that read “Death to America,” and even an individual with a poster that had a swastika on it. There were chants by large groups saying, “From River to the Sea Palestine will be Free,” “Intifada is the solution,” and “Tel Aviv will burn to the ground.” This is not free speech, this is hate-speech and threats. As I was walking around the encampment one masked protestors asked me if I supported their cause, which I replied to no. He started shouting at me “Zionist go away” with many other protestors moving toward my direction. I felt unsafe and walked away from the area.
On Sunday, April 28th, I spent the morning at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center covering the inpatient cardiology consultation service. Upon completion of my work, I walked from the hospital to the peaceful counter-protest set up by various Jewish organization is support of Jewish students and faculty on campus. On my walk up the Bruin walk toward Dickson plaza I was confronted by masked group of protestors holding signs, coming toward me. One pro-Palestinian protestor shouted at me “all Zionist will die, all Zionist will die, then Palestine will be free.” I continued to walk and got away from this protestor. As I neared Dickson Plaza, a very large stature young man with a facemask and Keffiyeh walk directly toward me and intentionally knocked me to the ground and walked away without even looking back. This was directly in front of UCLA security guards stationed in the area. It took me a few seconds to regain my balance and stand up. I continued to walk another 100 feet and near the entrance of the counter protest, a UCLA security guard, with both hands outstretched pushed against my chest attempted to move me backwards, indicating that nobody is allowed to proceed to Dickson Plaza. I pulled out my faculty badge and told the guard that I have a right to be on campus. Two other guards de-escalated the situation and walked me across the set-up barrier to the plaza. I was trembling for about 5 minutes from what had just happened to me, but I was able to regain my composure and spent about 30 minutes hearing inspirational speeches by UCLA Jewish faculty and city leaders.
University, Medial Schools, Healthcare Institutions/Departments have the responsibility to assure all members are treated equal and fair, without fear for their personal safety or religious belief. Over the past six months UCLA has failed to protect Jewish students and faculty, creating a hostile environment not conducive to education, collaboration, and delivery of care by all members. Lecturers and speakers should be vetted thoroughly so that one-sided propaganda is never allowed to infiltrate our ultimate mission of education.
The unlawful encampment was allowed to remain in the name of free speech, even though it incited severe antisemitism and unsafe campus not only for the Jewish community, but everyone on campus. It was a failure of leadership to allow hate speech, antisemitic rhetoric, and vile and hateful signs and posters to intimidate the Jewish community. Police presence was non-existent, which allowed lawlessness unchecked.
UCLA as an institution has failed me. I no longer feel welcomed or safe in conferences, meetings, the hospital, or the campus as a Jewish faculty. The silence of UCLA against antisemitism is deafening. In the late 1930’s Germany and Austria the Universities were the first place where antisemitic rhetoric went unchecked that led to the genocide of 6 million Jews. We must assure that history does not repeat itself.
Kamran Shamsa, MD, FACC
Associate Clinical Professor
Division of Cardiology
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
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