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Feds Probe UC Berkeley Anti-Semitism Allegations

BERKELEY (CBS/AP) - Federal officials are investigating anti-Semitism allegations at the University of California, Berkeley.

The Los Angeles Times reports recent graduates claim university officials fomented a hostile campus climate for Jewish students by failing to curb anti-Israel protests.

They said a protest against Israel's treatment of Palestinians was one of several February campus events that stoked anti-Semitic hate speech.

The U.S. Department of Education's civil rights office confirmed this week that it is investigating the allegations.

University spokesman Dan Mogulof said the protests were constitutionally protected speech and officials made efforts to maintain a safe and inclusive climate.

Joel Siegal, one of two attorneys who filed the complaint, says activists with the Muslim Student Association and Students for Justice in Palestine went beyond protected political protest.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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