LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As a resolution to condemn antisemitism and hate speech on college campuses passes in our nation's capital, the Nevada Board of Regent Chairman for Nevada's System of High Education is speaking about the college protests and demonstrations in Nevada.
Chairman Byron Brooks says our state's high education system is not implementing the IHRA definition it adopted less than a year ago to keep Jewish students safe.
Read the full conversation between the KTNV anchor Tricia Kean and chairman Byron Brooks. Brooks speaks as the chair of the Board of Regents and as a Jewish community member, not on behalf of the board.
Kean: Tell us about the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition. It was implemented in this state less than a year ago.
Brooks: The purpose of the IHRA definition was to be able to support our campuses in determining what might be something that is truly anti-semitic as opposed to something that may be an opinion that someone has. It was extremely important for the board to pass the IHRA definition as part of our overall, overarching policy to support when something would happen.
Why is it that we have a policy to protect Jewish students?
Right now, what we see are antisemitic demonstrations on campus where ralliers are calling for essentially the extermination of Jews throughout Israel. So when we hear "from the river to the sea," we're talking about the Jordan River all the way out to the sea, which is all of Israel, and the eradication of Jews in Israel.
And when we're hearing chants of "intifada, intifada," it's essentially calling for exactly that: the elimination of Jews throughout the state of Israel.
When we talk about protecting students on campus, I certainly come from a standpoint that all students should feel safe. All students should be protected. However, right now, we have Jewish students on campus who are concerned with their safety based on the rhetoric that they're hearing from from rallies and protests and from what they're seeing across the nation.
We recognize there is such a large impact of antisemitic rhetoric that is going on. Collaboratively, the system should be working with our presidents at all of our institutions to ensure that proper messaging is going out to the community and the Jewish students on campus.
Kean: Since this war began, there have been demonstrations, and they've been saying the rhetoric you're talking about, which is very concerning, and nobody's doing anything about it.
Brooks: Leadership is afraid to act in some capacity because they're trying to understand the difference between hate speech and First Amendment speech.
I wouldn't have a problem if protesters were talking about, you know, anti-war rhetoric. That, to me, is OK. But when you're on a campus, and you're calling for the extermination of Jews, this becomes hate speech. It shouldn't go unchecked.
Antisemitic rhetoric in our nation, particularly in our state at this moment in time, should not go unchecked. We need a heavier hand in curbing some of the things that are happening on our campuses to ensure, again, safety for all of our students, particularly during this time, our Jewish community members who are on campus.
