Bears for Palestine, also known as UC Berkeley Bears for Palestine, is an anti-Israeli student-led organization on the University of California, Berkeley campus and is a local chapter of the national Students for Justice in Palestine organization. ¹

Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks against the State of Israel, the group released a statement claiming, “We display our unwavering support of the resistance in Gaza and the broader occupied Palestinian lands.” ¹

Background

Bears for Palestine, UC Berkeley is an anti-Israeli student-led organization on the University of California, Berkeley campus that was founded in 2016 by student Hatem Bazian. ¹ Bears for Palestine is a local member group and founding chapter of the national Students for Justice in Palestine organization, which has chapters on college universities across the United States. ¹

Activities

In 2020, Bears for Palestine, UC Berkeley created displays on campuses that showcased images of several convicted terrorists including Fatima Bernawi, Rasmea Odeh, and Leila Khaled. Jewish students on campus advocated against the displays, claiming they glorified terrorism. UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ released several letters in response, with one criticizing the display as showing images of militants “who killed unarmed Jewish civilians… is an affront to our Principles of Community.” ² The other letter denounced alleged anti-Palestinian comments made during a student government meeting regarding the display. She stated, ““Any meeting or event on campus that leaves so many…feeling afraid, disregarded, and disrespected must…call into question not just the conduct of those involved, but also whether we can do more as a community to facilitate dialogue that adheres to the values described in our Principles of Community.” ²

In spring of 2022, Bears for Palestine hosted a gala on campus claiming to be “in honor of the unity intifada,” ³ that led to a counter demonstration by the pro-Israel student group Bears for Isreal outside the event. ⁴   The term “unity intifada” was described by the Daily Mail as “uprising that saw Palestinian leaders call for riots and attacks against Jews and Hamas launching thousands of rockets into populated areas in Israel amid tensions in Jerusalem over a property dispute.” ⁴

Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks against the state of Israel, Bears for Palestine published a statement claiming, “We display our unwavering support of the resistance in Gaza and the broader occupied Palestinian lands.” ¹

In February 2024, Bears for Palestine encouraged students to protest a speaking event featuring Israeli attorney Ran Bar-Yoshafat on the UC Berkeley campus. Group activists were accused of damaging university property by breaking the doors of the campus building Bar-Yoshafat was speaking before Jewish students as well as disrupting his speaking event which was shut down as a result. ^{5 6}

Leadership

Hatem Bazian is the founder of Bears for Palestine, UC Berkeley and is the board chairman of the National Students for Justice in Palestine organization. ^{1 7}

1. Dailymail.Com, Germania Rodriguez Poleo For. “Inside UC Berkeley’s Secretive Bears for Palestine Student Group That Supports Hamas Terrorists While Hiding Their Identities.” Daily Mail Online, October 15, 2023. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12625035/UC-berkeley-Bears-Palestine-SJP-Isreal-hamas-professor-history.html.
2. Greschler, Gabriel. “UC Berkeley Chancellor Addresses Controversial Bears for Palestine Display.” J. Weekly, February 19, 2020. https://jweekly.com/2020/02/19/uc-berkeley-chancellor-addresses-controversial-bears-for-palestine-display/.
3.  “What Does ‘Globalize the Intifada’ Mean and How Can It Lead to Targeting Jews with Violence?” AJC, September 21, 2024. https://www.ajc.org/news/what-does-globalize-the-intifada-mean-and-how-can-it-lead-to-targeting-jews-with-violence.
4.  “A Berkeley Student Group Celebrates Anti-Semitic Violence.” Jewish News Syndicate. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.jns.org/a-berkeley-student-group-celebrates-anti-semitic-violence/.
5. “UC Berkeley Officials Denounce Protest That Forced Police to Evacuate Jewish Event for Safety.” AP News, February 28, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/university-berkeley-jewish-event-palestinian-protest-e45ca6c36b05bb6d6a18eaa8df2396fe.
6. Keshavarz, Kiana Sezawar, and Ella Carter-Klauschie. “Protests Shut down Event with Israeli Attorney Ran Bar-Yoshafat.” www.dailycal.org, February 27, 2024. https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/student-life/protests-shut-down-event-with-israeli-attorney-ran-bar-yoshafat/article_3107e976-d52e-11ee-bec1-1f866f1b32b7.html.
7. Anti-Defamation League, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Accessed September 30, 2024.  https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/students-for-justice-in-palestine-sjp#_edn1.