The recent op-ed by four former UC Santa Barbara faculty members (The New McCarthyism, April 23, 2025), misrepresents the Anti-Defamation League’s clear stance on anti-Semitism in relation to anti-Zionism. Let there be no confusion: the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) does not equate criticism of Israel or advocacy for Palestinian justice with anti-Semitism.
ADL’s 2024 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents released this week, states unequivocally: “ADL is careful not to conflate general criticism of Israel or anti-Israel activism with antisemitism. Legitimate political protest, support for Palestinian rights, or expressions of opposition to Israeli policies are not included in the Audit.” This principle also applies to the incidents considered in ADL’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card grades for UCSB and other universities.
However, targeting or excluding Jewish students because they are perceived as symbols of Israel, or its policies is anti-Semitism.
This is precisely what happened to Tessa Veksler and other Jewish students at the UCSB Multicultural Center last year. When some students attempted to remove Ms. Veksler from her position as student body president, it was not merely criticism of Israel — it was blatant anti-Semitism directed at an innocent Jewish student.
These retired academics were absent from campus last year and did not witness Ms. Veksler’s struggle to retain her elected office simply because she was a proud Jew. This event was well-documented in contemporaneous news reports and the poignant October 8 documentary.
Where were they when a Jewish student’s Mezuzah, a sacred Jewish symbol, was reportedly torn from their dorm room doorpost? Or when another dorm room was reportedly defaced with graffiti reading “Zionist go home” pointing to the student’s Mezuzah?
Where were they when Jewish students were confronted with signs declaring “Globalize the Intifada,” a call for indiscriminate violence against Israelis and Jews worldwide? Or when they saw inverted red triangles, a symbol used by Hamas to mark targets of violence? These are all expressions of hate. These are acts of anti-Semitism.
Where were they when Jewish students witnessed a rally celebrating the one-year anniversary of the barbaric massacre of October 7th — the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust?
Where is their empathy for the students, staff, and faculty affected by the anti-Jewish hate and threats that permeates colleges across our nation?
While UCSB faced significant challenges in responding to these incidents last year, its administration has acknowledged its shortcomings and has begun implementing necessary changes, committing to further progress in the near future. Despite the authors’ misrepresentations of ADL’s methodology and intentions, we will continue to advise and support UCSB and every willing university as they strive to improve Jewish life on campus and civil discourse for all their students.
Joshua Burt is Regional Director of ADL Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties.
