The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today condemned the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) administration for its silence on the student identified as a perpetrator of the recent violent attacks against peaceful protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It also demanded that the district’s superintendent immediately cancel his upcoming trip to Israel and to cease inviting Israeli soldiers to speak to students.
SEE: First Arrest in UCLA Overnight Encampment Attack
Unmasking counterprotesters who attacked UCLA’s pro-Palestine encampment
A Beverly Hills High School (BHHS) student, Edan On, was identified last week by multiple sources, including CNN, as a member of the pro-Israel mob that violently brutalized the peaceful student protesters at the UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment. Mr. On was arrested yesterday, May 23, by the UCLA police department for his alleged role in the attacks.
Shortly after Mr. On was positively identified, BHUSD Superintendent Michael Bregy announced that he was “thrilled and deeply honored,” to participate in a 10-day trip to Israel in June where he would “meet influential Israeli leaders.”
Additionally, community members reported that BHHS leadership invited Eli Wininger, an Israel Defense Force (IDF) Reservist, to speak on its campus to students earlier this month. This is at least the second time Mr. Wininger has been asked to speak and BHHS has reportedly held other events since October where Israeli speakers were invited to speak to students.
District leadership has reportedly not taken any measures against Mr. On to punish or remove him from the campus and has not released any official statements regarding his violent conduct. Members of BHUSD’s Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, faculty, and staff have reported to CAIR-LA that they feel unsafe due to the district administration’s actions that have contributed to the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Civil Rights Managing Attorney Dina Chehata, Esq. said:
“It is deeply concerning that BHUSD has not only failed to condemn Edan On’s violent attack on innocent student protesters, but that it has invited members of the IDF to speak to students and BHUSD’s Superintendent has enthusiastically voiced his excitement to meet with Israeli leaders. That the Superintendent’s Israel trip comes at a time when Israel is being globally condemned for war crimes and genocidal acts against the Palestinian people is all the more alarming and grave.
“BHUSD’s silence about Edan On’s violent and well-documented attacks is indicative of an overall disregard for the safety and wellbeing of BHUSD’s Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students—some of whom have reported to our office a school environment that is plagued by anti-Palestinian sentiment, discrimination, and fear. We want to remind BHUSD and BHHS of their legal and moral obligation to ensure that all students, regardless of faith, race, or nationality, are protected from hate.”
Since Oct. 7, Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinian civilians, a majority of whom are women and children, forcibly displaced over one million people and has cut off food, water, electricity, and medicine causing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Human rights organizations and advocates from all over the world have documented Israel’s genocide and ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the International Criminal Court isactively pursuing arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes.
CAIR-LA sent a letter to BHUSD leadership and BHHS President Drew Stewart demanding the following:
- BHUSD and BHHS take immediate disciplinary action against Edan On, including and up to, expulsion, withholding of his diploma, and terminating any graduation privileges, and to make a public statement that his actions are not welcome anywhere in the district
- Superintendent Bregy immediately cancel his upcoming trip to Israel.
- The district commits to withholding any future invitations to guest speakers from the IDF, or other Israeli military or government officials until Israel commits to a permanent ceasefire and a permanent end to war crimes and human rights violations against the Palestinian people.
- The district commits to showcasing Palestinian speakers who can speak to the Palestinian experience, history, and culture, and Jewish and Israeli speakers who contradict the IDF and Israeli narrative, in order to truly honor the diversity and richness of American Jewish culture and thought.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
– END –
CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Coordinator Madi Morse-Hameed, mmorse-hameed@cair.com