While not specifically naming Israel, University of California President Michael Drake reaffirms that student governments are barred from financial boycotts against companies tied to any country, amid federal probes into antisemitism.
University of California President Michael Drake has reaffirmed the university system’s ban on student government-led financial boycotts targeting companies associated with any specific country, amid ongoing federal investigations into campus antisemitism, The Associated Press reported on Thursday.
In a letter sent this week to chancellors across the university’s ten-campus system, Drake emphasized that while freedom of speech and inquiry remain core values, all financial decisions must be based on sound business practices.
“This principle also applies to student governments,” he wrote. “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.”
Although Drake did not mention Israel by name, his remarks come as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its probes into alleged antisemitism at multiple institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley.
The letter follows months of heightened tensions on campuses sparked by pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrations, including violent clashes at the University of California, Los Angeles.University of California President Michael Drake has reaffirmed the university system’s ban on student government-led financial boycotts targeting companies associated with any specific country, amid ongoing federal investigations into campus antisemitism, The Associated Press reported on Thursday.
In a letter sent this week to chancellors across the university’s ten-campus system, Drake emphasized that while freedom of speech and inquiry remain core values, all financial decisions must be based on sound business practices.
“This principle also applies to student governments,” he wrote. “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.”
Although Drake did not mention Israel by name, his remarks come as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its probes into alleged antisemitism at multiple institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley.
The letter follows months of heightened tensions on campuses sparked by pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrations, including violent clashes at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In April, a US federal judge ruled that two Jewish advocacy organizations may proceed with a lawsuit against the University of California, Berkeley, accusing the institution of permitting persistent antisemitic harassment of Jewish students and faculty.
The lawsuit, filed in November of 2023, names multiple university officials, including Drake and former UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, alleging that they failed to address a hostile environment on campus.In April, a US federal judge ruled that two Jewish advocacy organizations may proceed with a lawsuit against the University of California, Berkeley, accusing the institution of permitting persistent antisemitic harassment of Jewish students and faculty.
The lawsuit, filed in November of 2023, names multiple university officials, including Drake and former UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, alleging that they failed to address a hostile environment on campus.
