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To the Editor: 

There is no doubt that the appearance of graffiti in front of an eatery should be condemned (“Hate graffiti reported at Jewish eatery” Aug. 20). However, we have to be careful about how we classify the incident. 

I am bothered by the quickness of important and intelligent people to assume that it was politically-motivated. Councilmember Kriss Worthington mentioned Middle East “peace” in response, and the owner said that in 1993 they gave away free falafel to supporters of peace, but “now they put this near my window.” Considering that the police have no suspects, and the graffiti message “Holy blood” is ambiguous, it is dangerous to suggest that a “they” did it out of political motivations. It is implicating a whole category of people who have a certain political view. 

The ambiguity of “Holy Blood” lies in this: It could refer to Israel's murderous military occupation of the Palestinian people, or the classic anti-semitic “blood libel” myth, or it could simply be the name of a gang or punk rock group. I am not denying or asserting that it was any one of the above. My basic point is that we do not know. 

This is not the first time an incident in Berkeley was described as politically motivated or a hate crime without any evidence in support. Governor Davis portrayed the attack on two Orthodox Jewish men near UC last spring as anti-semitic. However, according to the Jewish publication Forward, neither police nor one of the victims was “calling the incident a bias attack” (April 12). The attack, after all, occurred on a dark and empty street late at night, and the attacker said or did nothing to insinuate anti-Jewish hate as a motivation. Similarly, every unfortunate act of vandalism at Berkeley's Hillel, which is surrounded by fraternities known for wild partying, is described in the same vain. 

I am not denying the existence of anti-semitism or politically-motivated violence. On the contrary, careful use of loaded terms will make fighting these more effective. Liberally throwing labels around will only make them less potent, less significant, and will result in a watering down of meaning. Some Jews rightfully fear that overuse of the anti-semitism label stifles discussion, and may even stoke the flames of hate. 

Will Youmans, 

Law Student Boalt School of Law