|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
In a major development with nationwide implications, the University of California system has officially banned all entities across its ten campuses from participating in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
While University of California President Michael Drake did not reference Israel explicitly, he stated: “Actions by University entities to implement boycotts of companies based on their association with a particular country would not align with these sound business practices.”
The policy shift follows a warning from the Trump administration that institutions supporting BDS could lose eligibility for federal research grants. That warning comes amid a broader federal investigation into rising antisemitism at universities across the country, prompted by cases of intimidation and discrimination against Jewish students during anti-Israel campus protests.
The U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed it is examining whether the University of California has exhibited a “pattern of discrimination” against Jewish Americans, in potential violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The probe is part of a sweeping initiative by the DOJ’s antisemitism task force, which has launched investigations into at least eight other major universities, including Columbia, Harvard, George Washington University, New York University, the University of Southern California, Johns Hopkins, and Northwestern.
“Our country has witnessed a disturbing rise of antisemitism at educational institutions in California and nationwide,” said Acting Associate Attorney General and DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle. “The Department of Justice is committed to upholding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and protecting Jewish Americans as we investigate this potential pattern of discrimination.”
The University of California’s BDS ban marks a significant turning point in the national conversation on campus antisemitism and institutional accountability — at a moment when universities are facing intensifying scrutiny over their failure to safeguard Jewish students amid a wave of hate-fueled activism.
