Full Breakdown
UCLA Student Government Condemns Hostage Testimony, Sparking Campus and Regent Backlash
4/25/2026, 9:23:02 AM
Event Summary
On April 14, 2026, UCLA hosted Omer Shem Tov, a 23-year-old former Israeli hostage, for a Yom HaShoah program titled “505 Days in Captivity.” The UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) condemned the event as “selective platforming” that “obscures the broader reality of ongoing state violence.” The resolution passed by a narrow majority of the 15-member council, with five members, including President Diego Bollo, absent.
Background & Context
The condemnation unfolded amid intense campus activism over the Israel-Gaza war. UCLA has seen pro-Palestinian encampments, a police-cleared protest in April 2024, and ongoing federal lawsuits alleging an antisemitic campus climate.
Key Actors
Key participants include USAC (representing ~29,000 undergraduates) and its president Diego Bollo, former hostage Omer Shem Tov, UCLA Hillel and the Nazarian Center for Israel Studies (event organizers), Chancellor Julio Frenk, and UC Regent Jay Sures.
Official Statements & Responses
UCLA administration called the program a message of resilience and pledged to review USAC’s letter-drafting process. USAC’s statement warned the event “legitimizes and normalizes” ongoing atrocities without a Palestinian counter-narrative. Regent Sures, on Regents letterhead, called the USAC resolution “disgusting and appalling” and emphasized the duty to protect free speech. Hillel’s director emeritus called the condemnation “completely ridiculous,” arguing personal testimony should not be dismissed as one-sided.
Criticism & Opposition
Jewish and Israeli groups, including Hillel and the Jewish Chronicle, called USAC’s action antisemitic and a silencing of a survivor. Hillel executive director Daniel Gold labeled the council “anti-dialogue, anti-learning, anti-truth, anti-Jewish.” Some observers described Sures’s rebuke as “lunatic” and “short-sighted,” noting his personal stake after his home was vandalized by pro-Palestinian activists.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
USAC President Bollo said he was unaware of the letter’s drafting and that five council members missed the vote; other accounts note the resolution passed by a “bare majority.” The council’s claim of lacking a Palestinian perspective contrasts with organizers’ framing of the event as a personal survivor testimony. Sures wrote as a regent, yet the letter bore Regents letterhead, raising questions about institutional endorsement.
Verbatim Quotes
- “In his letter, which was drafted on Regents of the University of California letterhead, Sures said, “Like many University leaders, I am disgusted and appalled by the Council’s recent statement condemning an on-campus event featuring former Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov.” — Jay Sures, UC Regent
- “While we affirm the humanity of all people impacted by violence, we reject the selective platforming of narratives that obscure the broader reality of ongoing state violence.” — UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council
- “Free speech is a principle I do not compromise on — regardless of the nature or subject of any given event.” — Diego Bollo, USAC President
- “If you are willing to silence a survivor of 505 days in captivity to protect a preconceived narrative, it’s worth pausing,” — Omer Shem Tov
Outlook
UCLA will review its student-government letter-approval procedures, and USAC has pledged an internal policy audit. Regent Sures says he will continue to champion diverse speakers and monitor free-speech standards. The dispute remains entwined with broader legal battles over campus climate and the Israel-Gaza conflict.
