Full Breakdown
UCLA Student Government’s Condemnation of Hostage Speaker Sparks University and Regent Backlash
4/26/2026, 12:23:54 AM
UCLA Student Government Condemns Hostage Speaker Event
On April 14, 2026 the Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) issued a letter denouncing a UCLA Hillel-organized Holocaust Remembrance Day program that featured former Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov. The council called the event “selective platforming” that “obscures the broader reality of ongoing state violence.” The program was co-sponsored by Students Supporting Israel and the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies and proceeded without disruption.
Background: Israel-Hamas Conflict and Campus Activism
The Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel produced more than 200 hostages, including Shem Tov, who spent 505 days in captivity before a February 2025 prisoner exchange. The ensuing Israel-Gaza war has fueled sustained activism at UCLA, including a pro-Palestinian encampment in spring 2024 that was violently cleared on April 30–May 1, 2024, and multiple lawsuits alleging antisemitic campus policies.
Key Actors
- Omer Shem Tov – 23-year-old former hostage, speaker at the April 14 event.
- Diego Bollo – USAC president, who said he was absent from the meeting that adopted the condemnation.
- Jay Sures – UC Regent, vice-chairman of United Talent Agency, author of a scathing letter to USAC.
- UCLA administration – Chancellor Julio Frenk and university spokesperson defending the event.
- UCLA Hillel, Students Supporting Israel, Nazarian Center – organizers of the program.
Official Statements & Responses
UCLA said the event “promoted resilience and respect for human rights and dignity” and that condemning it is “antithetical to the values of our Bruin community.” USAC president Bollo called the letter a “lapse in oversight” and pledged a review of council procedures. Regent Sures, writing on individual regent letterhead, described the USAC statement as “disgusting and appalling” and accused the council of hypocrisy. UCLA School of Law Dean Michael Waterstone emphasized the need for “civility, respect, and careful listening” in campus dialogue.
Criticism & Opposition
Sures labeled the USAC condemnation “antisemitic” and a “double standard,” arguing that balance requires “equal consideration of more than one point of view.” Jewish community outlets echoed this view, accusing the council of silencing an Israeli survivor. Pro-Palestinian activists, who previously vandalized Sures’s home, framed the regent’s intervention as an attempt to intimidate dissent.
Data & Statistics
- Event date: April 14, 2026.
- Shem Tov’s captivity: 505 days.
- USAC council: 15 members; the condemnation passed by a “bare majority” with five members, including Bollo, absent.
- UC Board of Regents: 26 members.
- Prior campus incidents: April 30–May 1, 2024 encampment clearance; winter 2023 vandalism of Sures’s residence.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Bollo asserts he was not present when the letter was drafted or voted on, yet the council’s public record shows the resolution was adopted that same day. No detailed minutes have been released, leaving the exact process for adding the item to the agenda unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We reject the selective platforming of narratives that obscure the broader reality of ongoing state violence,” — USAC, Undergraduate Students Association Council
- “The condemnation of such a peaceful event to share a story of resilience in the face of extreme suffering is antithetical to the values of our Bruin community.” — UCLA spokesperson
- “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,” — Regent Jay Sures
- “You claim you want balance in programming and more than ‘a single narrative’ from speakers at UCLA. Balance, by definition, inherently involves equal consideration of more than one point of view.” — Regent Jay Sures
- “Free speech is a principle I do not compromise on — regardless of the nature or subject of any given event.” — Diego Bollo, USAC president
- “The student leaders on your council who opposed this event would have benefited from what Omer Shev Tov had to say.” — Regent Jay Sures
What’s Next
UCLA has announced an internal audit of USAC’s statement-drafting procedures and a review by the School of Law of campus speech policies. Regent Sures indicated he will continue monitoring student government actions, while ongoing lawsuits and federal investigations keep the university’s handling of Israel-related activism under scrutiny.
