Leading Jewish teachers expressed support for the president of UC Berkeley, which appeared Tuesday morning before an influential congressional committee probed allegations of anti-Semitism on campus.
Prime Minister Rich Lyons joined leaders at the University of New York City and Georgetown University in Washington, where the House Education and Workforce Committee asked them in the latest high-profile hearing, examining how the university responded to the University’s response to the Pro-Palestinian protests and allegations of anti-Semitic hatred since the end of 2023.
Berkeley is under investigation multiple times about allegations of violating the civil rights of Jewish students and faculty. Lyons, who became Prime Minister a year ago, was the first UC leader to face a House committee during President Trump.
“As a public institution, Berkeley has a solemn obligation to protect the typical American free speech value of America,” Lyons said in his opening speech. “This obligation does not stop us from repeating it, nor does it stop us from facing all forms of harassment and discrimination, including anti-Semitism.”
On Monday, 82 Jewish Berkeley faculty members sent a letter to the House Committee saying that, despite being “sometimes uneasy, sometimes, sometimes physically threatening to members of the Jewish community,” Bay Area campuses have generally been safe for Jewish people in recent years.
“As Jewish teachers who regularly interact with campus leadership and are alert to the well-being of the Jewish campus community, we refuse to say that UC Berkeley is an anti-Semitic environment,” the letter said. “We write to confirm that we feel safe on campus and support the government’s efforts to balance security in respect of freedom of expression.”
The letter was organized by Ken Goldberg, a professor of industrial engineering and operations studies, and Ethan Katz, associate professor of history and associate professor at the Center for Jewish Studies. The signatories include some of the most prominent academics on campus, including Berkeley Law President Erwin Chemerinsky and First Amendment Expert.
In addition, the University of California Coalition and faculty issued a joint statement on Monday denouncing the hearing as an attempt by the Trump administration allies to “restrict freedom of speech.”
“The hearing is the latest in a series of attacks that are part of the MAGA agenda to return higher education and limit freedom of expression on campuses nationwide,” said a statement from the University Committee – the United States Council of Teachers’ Federation (UC-AFT) and the University of California Teachers’ Committee. UC-AFT represents 6,800 lecturers, part-time faculty and librarians in the university system.
“The Trump administration is cynically targeting higher education on all levels. Freedom of teaching, writing and research for teachers and students is the cornerstone of the American university system and must be defended,” the statement said.
A pro-Palestine teacher at the university that was hearing also issued a statement Tuesday.
“These congressional hearings are not about actually addressing anti-Semitism in higher education. Instead, their agenda is to bring the higher education sector to the high heels.” A statement signed by faculty and staff at Cooney, Georgetown and UC Berkeley and the U.S. Palestinian Group Judiciary Group in Georgetown, United States. The Jewish voice of the University Professor and the Academic Committee on Peace.
They called on university leaders to “oppose the weaponization of anti-Semitism through the Jewish security equation and silence and exclusion of those who speak freely for Palestine and end genocide.”
Committee Chairman Rep. Tim Walberg said in a statement that the hearing focused on “the fundamental factors that incite anti-Semitic unrest and hatred on campus.”
“Anti-Semitism will continue to exist on university campuses until these factors are addressed, such as foreign funding and anti-Semitism students and faculty,” Wahlberg said.
In his speech on Tuesday, Walberg picked out justice for students in the Palestinian chapter of Palestine, in the Palestinian judicial faculty chapter, where faculty and staff grew throughout the university over the past 18 months.
Trump and Republican allies have also widely accused campuses of being too open to influence by foreign funding and accused Harvard and Berkeley of not complying with U.S. law that requires educational institutions to disclose gifts worth $250,000 or more each year. The allegations focus on the links between the Chinese government and Chinese organizations and universities.
Harvard and Berkeley said they abide by the law.
