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I Saw Hatred First-Hand as a UCLA Student; But the School’s New Initiative Gives Me Hope
Law enforcement officers clear out a pro-Hamas protest encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Los Angeles, California, US, May 2, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/David Swanson
My senior year at UCLA was engulfed in anti-Jewish fervor. Frightening and dangerous protests erupted across our campus, Jewish students were shunned and ostracized, and administrators failed to hold students and professors accountable for breaking campus policies and violating the rights of Jewish students.
After 18 months of a vicious cycle — discrimination, protests, and administrative inaction — it felt as though many people accepted, and even embraced, this new normal within academia.
But after reading UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk’s announcement of an “Initiative to Combat Antisemitism,” I am hopeful we are moving in the right direction.
Previous attempts to address campus hostility towards Jewish students have been little more than Band-aid solutions.
UCLA’s “Four-Point Plan for a Safer, Stronger UCLA,” announced in September 2024, acknowledged the need for change but barely mentioned antisemitism or the events that prompted the plan in the first place.
Similarly, UCLA’s updated Time, Place, and Manner policies have failed to deter groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine (GSJP) from disturbing university functions while spewing hateful rhetoric.
Chancellor Frenk was the first UCLA leader to take action beyond merely condemning violence in words.
In February, he suspended SJP and GSJP after they organized a protest outside the home of UC Regent Jay Sures — an incident in which they harassed him, vandalized his property with red handprints (a symbol of Jewish death), and prevented a family member from leaving their home. Moreover, Frenk’s latest statement spotlighted antisemitism and antisemitism only — finally providing Jewish students with the recognition and respect they have long deserved.
As a UCLA alum who endured the consequences of my administration’s empty promises, I am certainly skeptical of whether Chancellor Frenk will remain committed to enforcing his policies. But in less than three months in office, he has already done more than his predecessors. At a time when Jewish students need even a glimmer of hope to push through the darkness that has clouded campus life — especially since October 7 — this initiative could be that light.
As Jews, we are constantly defending our identities and our homeland. As Jewish students, we are constantly defending Jewish history and the reality of our experiences on campus. While Jewish students continue to mourn and suffer unimaginable losses, they should — at the very least — be able to walk through campus freely and unafraid.
When Chancellor Frenk wrote that antisemitism “threatens the mission of academia and is antithetical to the values that define the very essence of a university,” it became apparent to me that he seems to recognize what other UCLA leaders have not — a deeper root to the problem.
Discrimination has no place on a college campus — and neither do distorted narratives nor negligent administrators. Universities should be institutions that value diversity of thought, not echo chambers that legitimize trendy ideologies, especially ideologies of hate.
Our instinct to defend ourselves and educate others stems from a deep love for our people and our home. But explaining ourselves over and over again is exhausting. I hope that by listening to Jewish students, Chancellor Frenk truly hears them. And beyond hearing them, I hope he continues to ask questions, to seek understanding, and to act.
One of the greatest losses in academia since October 7, 2023, has been the ability to listen with an open mind. If someone has already decided who a Jewish person is, they may listen to our stories, but will never truly hear us. If their minds are already made up about what is happening on campus, then any attempt to listen to Jewish students is done in vain.
Students need more than sympathy or performative action — they need tangible progress on campus. Hopefully, Chancellor Frenk can follow through and protect students in the way they deserve.
Emily Samuels is a recent graduate of UCLA.
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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