FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JEWISH CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP WARNS HUNDREDS OF UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS OVER
ANTI-ISRAEL HATE ON AMERICAN COLLEGE CAMPUSES

Law Center That Sunk the Gaza Flotilla Gears Up for Litigation Against
U.S. Schools

(September 8, 2011, New York) Jewish civil rights group Shurat HaDin -
Israel Law Center warned university and college presidents around the
United States that their schools may be subject to civil and criminal
liability if they do not take necessary measures to ensure the
educational rights and safety of Jewish and Israeli students on their
campuses. In letters sent to campus administrators, the Law Center also
cautioned that their schools have a duty to reasonably prevent
university funds from being diverted to unlawful activities that are
directed against the state of Israel.

The warning to more than 150 college and university presidents around
the United States, informs the schools concerning their legal
obligations to prevent harassment and anti-Semitism. The letters note
that as a result of their receipt of federal funding their institutions
have legal responsibilities to prevent a hostile environment from
forming on campus. The letter specifically cites Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of
national origin in federally assisted programs and activities. The Law
Center also provided the schools with the guidance issued by the U.S.
Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights and the U.S State
Department that clarifies when anti-Israel rhetoric becomes anti-Semitic.

Additionally, Shurat HaDin—Israel Law Center informed the schools about
their legal obligation to monitor student organization funding and
activities. Citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Holder v.
Humanitarian Law Project, which held that it is illegal to provide any
support to a terrorist organization even if the support appears to be
relatively benign, as well as other recent similar legal precedents that
provide for civil and criminal penalties, the group cautioned the
schools to remain vigilant in funding student organizations, especially
ones that may have ties to terrorist organizations or that may engage in
unlawful activity abroad.

According to Shurat HaDin—Israel Law Center, a legal center based in Tel
Aviv, Israel with an office in New York, the warning letter was prompted
by the alarming number of incidents of harassment and hate crimes
occurring against Jewish and Israeli students on college campuses around
the United States. Anti-Israel rallies and events frequently exceed
legitimate criticism of Israel and cross the line into blatant
anti-Semitism, resulting in hateful attacks against Jews. The harassment
and intimidation on the campuses not only interferes with the students’
educational rights, but it also threatens their physical safety and
well-being.

Shurat HaDin—Israel Law Center recently spearheaded an international
campaign to obstruct the organizers of the Gaza Flotilla that sought to
breach Israel's maritime blockade of the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip.
The law center successfully warned maritime insurance providers and
satellite companies against providing any services to the flotilla ships
as it could open the companies up to civil litigation by terror victims.
The flotilla was cancelled, in large, part as a result of Shurat HaDin's
legal campaign.

As a civil rights group, Shurat HaDin noted that it is mindful of the
need for academic freedom and robust speech on college campuses.
However, to achieve the ideals of a higher academic learning
environment, appropriate and vigilant measures must be taken by the
colleges. As the letter states,

“Although we respect and applaud the protection of First Amendment
rights, ideas cannot flourish in a hostile environment where
Jewish/Israeli students are too intimidated to speak because they fear
they will be held collectively responsible for the supposed wrongdoings
of the Jewish State of Israel. If academic freedom means anything at
all, it must mean that a Jewish student should feel safe enough to
publicly wear his yarmulke across campus and not fear verbal or physical
anti-Israel abuse; a campus environment where this cannot occur has
failed this student and failed to create a diverse and flourishing
academic environment.”

Attorney Kenneth Leitner, the law center’s Director of American Affairs,
said that the point of the warning letter was to put the college
community on notice that the current status quo against Jewish and
Israeli students on college campuses is not acceptable. “The extremists
and perpetrators of hate have exploited the ideals of higher education
for too long and by condoning it, college administrators have allowed an
environment of intimidation and hostility against Jewish students and
faculty to fester on campus.” He also noted, “the Israel Law Center has
a successful model of litigation and, as such, it is our intention that
it will not be anti-Semitic business-as-usual on the college campuses
this year.”

Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the founder of Shurat HaDin, stated
her determination for the law center to take the lead in the fight
against campus activity against Jews. “If universities allow their
campuses to be utilized by individuals or organizations that provide
material support for terrorist organizations and to become a hotbed of
Anti-Semitism against Jewish students and faculty, we warn them that
they will be subjecting themselves to massive civil liability,” she
stated. “The law is very strict when it comes to aiding and abetting
terrorism or politically-motivated violence.”

Shurat HaDin—Israel Law Center is dedicated to enforcing basic human
rights through the legal system and represents hundreds of victims of
terrorism in courtrooms around the world.

For the warning letter click here:
http://israellawcenter.org/uploadimages/image/Letter%20to%20Columbia%20U.pdf

For the list of schools click here:
http://israellawcenter.org/uploadimages/image/list%20of%20schools.pdf

Contact: Suzanne Balaban
Suzanne@bmmworldwide.com
Tel: 212 796 5895 | 972 50 811 0348

Contact: Kenneth Leitner, Esq.
kleitner@ShuratHaDinUSA.org
(718) 855-3627