It's reasonable to expect our elected ASUC officials to uphold a particular standard of behavior. As student leaders in a diverse community, we would hope they took office with intentions to foster inclusion and safety among students.

There is undoubtedly a faction on campus that believes ASUC Senator John Moghtader has failed to do just that. But the petition to recall Moghtader is too preemptive-until his exact involvement in the fight in Eshleman Hall is sorted out by the district attorney, there aren't solid grounds for ousting him from office.

If investigations do lead to actual charges, then it goes without saying that a recall is warranted. Resorting to unnecessary violence is reprehensible, especially for someone who holds a position in student government.

Whether the events on Nov. 13 can be classified as a hate crime also has yet to be decided. The five students from Boalt Hall School of Law who launched the official recall campaign claim Moghtader's presence in the ASUC causes divisiveness. The success of the online petition, gathering the required 1,000 signatures in less than 48 hours, reflects a similar shared sentiment among a good number of students.

But the petition also seems, in a way, to be just another extension of the ongoing debate between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli individuals. Before steadfastly diving into a recall election, the exact purpose for it must be reassessed. Even more cause for a second look: A recall election would cost students about $50,000.

Moghtader's views, as much as they invite fervent disagreement, are not sufficient reasons for his removal. Expression of various perspectives has always been privileged at UC Berkeley. Unless new condemning details arise from the police investigation, a recall election would be a waste of time and money.