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2w ago

University of California Bars Official Boycotts of Israel to Secure Research Grants

The directive applies to campus governments, university units, research labs to comply with new federal grant terms, preserve more than $3 billion in annual research funding

Los Angeles, CA – September 08: Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents apprehend an an illegal immigrant with criminal record, in an early morning raid at home on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
At UC Berkeley, the group Students Supporting Israel interrupted a walk-out in support of Gaza and Lebanon by faculty, staff and students in October.
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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators held T-shirts encouraging UC Berkeley to divest from Israel during commencement at Memorial Stadium in May 2024.

Overview

  • On July 2, UC President Michael Drake issued a letter prohibiting student governments and authorized university entities from boycotting Israel under existing competitive-bidding policies.
  • The ban responds to new grant conditions from the Department of Health and Human Services’ NIH, National Science Foundation requiring certification that institutions do not and will not engage in Israel boycotts.
  • The policy covers all UC campuses, medical centers, Agriculture and Natural Resources division, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
  • Registered campus organizations such as student clubs remain exempt from the ban and retain autonomy over their political activities and financial decisions.
  • The systemwide measure aims to safeguard roughly $3.1 billion in federal research funding as UC faces investigations by federal antisemitism and civil-rights task forces.