School agencies, including the student government associated with the University of California, are prohibited from boycotting Israel as the Trump administration continues to crack down on anti-Semitism on university campuses with looming funding cuts.
UC President Michael Drake oversaw the campus with a letter that boycotts linked to “a particular country” are believed to be in violation of school policies.
“While members of our community have the right to express their perspective, the boycott of finance is inconsistent with UC’s commitment to sound business practices, academic freedom, and free exchange of ideas,” the UC president’s office said in a statement. ”
The school system emphasized that the new directive aims to follow federal guidelines to avoid curbing the danger.
“This communication coincides with new conditions added by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Science Foundation, and a new federal grant that requires agencies to prove they will not engage in boycotting Israel,” Drake’s office said.
Prime Ministers of all 10 UC campuses also signed the letter, confirming their opposition to the “academic boycott” of scholars from Israeli academic institutions.
“Our commitment to continued involvement and partnership with Israel, our Palestinian colleagues, universities and universities are unshakable,” the signed letter states. “We believe that this type of boycott poses a direct and serious threat to the exchange of free ideas and perspectives on campus, including academic freedom for students and faculty, as well as discussions and discourses about conflicts in the Middle East.”
Drake’s orders threatened to cut federal funding at 60 universities, including four UC campuses, and accused them of violating civil rights and discriminating against Jewish students.
A March letter from the U.S. Department of Education said that if schools, including UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara, fail to maintain Title VI, they could withdraw funds.
UCLA has been accused of enabling anti-Semitism as the Justice Department filed court documents in March, and has been accused of attempting to avoid liability for alleged anti-Semitism after pro-Israel students in 2024 claimed they were blocked from using paths during Palestinian campus protests.
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