SACRAMENTO, California (Press Release) — The Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) – the voice of California’s Jewish community to the State Capitol – strongly opposes the demand that UCLA pay the federal government $1 billion to restore $584 million in already-frozen research grants. This approach does not make Jewish students safer.
Like many universities nationwide, UCLA has faced serious antisemitic incidents. In partnership with JPAC and its member organizations, California’s leadership, the UC system, and UCLA have taken steps to counter antisemitism and ensure the safety and inclusion of Jewish students and faculty. UCLA’s new Chancellor Julio Frenk is an active partner and champion in these efforts, making it clear through actions and policies that antisemitism has no place on campus.
Substantial work remains to effectively fight antisemitism on campus. However, cutting vital federal research funding or imposing a billion-dollar penalty would instead harm students, disrupt life-saving research, threaten economic growth, and undermine one of the nation’s most respected public university systems. It will drive a wedge between the Jewish community and other vulnerable groups that are harmed. And as a public institution, such a settlement would ironically divert public funds from other initiatives, including those that combat antisemitism and hate.
This approach leaves everyone less safe. JPAC urges the Administration to reconsider imposing financial penalties, and instead seek constructive, collaborative, and strategic avenues to address the alarming rise in antisemitism on college campuses.
Meaningful progress is already underway in California:
- Statewide Leadership: In partnership with JPAC and the Jewish Caucus, Governor Newsom launched the Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism – the first of its kind – including measures to safeguard Jewish students on campus.
- Landmark Laws: JPAC sponsored two laws that took effect in January: Senate Bill 1287 (Glazer), which strengthens campus codes of conduct, and Assembly Bill 2925 (Friedman), which requires antisemitism to be addressed in all campus anti-bias trainings.
- UC System Action: The UC Office of the President banned encampments, masking to conceal identity, and blocking access to campus spaces, while directing each UC campus to enforce clear time, place, and manner restrictions on protest activity. UC President Michael V. Drake sent a letter in July banning student governments and other university entities from boycotting countries, including Israel. Regents also barred political statements from official homepages, and the UC Academic Assembly rejected a proposal to impose admissions requirements that would have harmed Jewish students.
- UCLA’s Leadership: Chancellor Frenk established a dedicated antisemitism initiative, suspended student groups fostering a hostile environment for Jews, and delivered forceful remarks against antisemitism during a keynote address at JPAC Capitol Summit.
There is still more work to do. Jewish faculty groups have put forward substantive recommendations. We encourage UCLA officials to give their recommendations serious consideration, and ensure they are enforcing Title VI and VII. We stand in solidarity with Jewish student and faculty experiencing harm, and remain committed to ensuring additional protective measures are adopted and implemented.
Countering antisemitism is a shared responsibility that demands strategic, fact-based leadership grounded in the lived experiences of students, faculty, and the broader community. JPAC will continue working with lawmakers, administrators, and advocates to build a campus climate in which Jewish students – and all students – can thrive.
*
Preceding provided by the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California.