To the editor: The Los Angeles Instances (“UCLA’s Jewish neighborhood unites in opposition to Trump’s $1-billion demand: ‘Misguided and punitive,’” Aug. 1) failed to completely confront statements by UCLA school that minimized antisemitism. In actual fact, the Jewish College Resilience Group (which I chair) and the Process Pressure on Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias at UCLA have documented repeated and violent assaults on Jewish college students and college by pro-Palestinian protesters earlier than, throughout and after the 2024 encampment. Minimizing this actuality retraumatizes Jews on campus who’ve already endured hostile circumstances.
Over the previous 18 months, JFRG has supplied UC leaders with proof and a roadmap to deal with antisemitism. The true query is whether or not the college’s leaders, school and the media have studied this proof with the seriousness it deserves — or skimmed previous it, selecting the consolation of distance over the duty of motion.
Kira Stein, Los Angeles
This author is an assistant scientific professor on the David Geffen Faculty of Drugs at UCLA and founder and chair of the Jewish College Resilience Group.
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To the editor: I can’t agree extra with the writers of this piece (“Trump’s declare of preventing antisemitism at UCLA is a harmful charade,” Aug. 19). I’d similar to to emphasise and paraphrase a few its ideas: President Trump needs $1 billion from UCLA and if UCLA doesn’t discover a resolution apart from the settlement, there could be devastating losses to analysis, jobs, and so on. Really a Faustian discount with sturdy traces of a mafia-style shakedown. And Trump says he’s doing this to fight antisemitism. This outrageous scheme could be laborious to imagine if it weren’t taking place earlier than our eyes.
Nate Tucker, Costa Mesa
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To the editor: I don’t imagine for a minute that Trump goes after UCLA for the good thing about Jews and to battle antisemitism. He couldn’t care much less about us and is utilizing us to additional his trigger, no matter that be. He’s placing the Jewish folks within the highlight for all of the incorrect causes, and is, the truth is, inflicting extra antisemitism. Please, Trump, go away and go away us alone.
Batiya Anna Lane, Palm Desert
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To the editor: The absurdity of the $1-billion tremendous Trump proposed for antisemitism at UCLA was proven by the 2 op-eds on one web page of The Instances (“Black folks on campuses help preventing antisemitism and in addition marvel, ‘What about us?,’” Aug. 19).
Trump’s tremendous jogged my memory of Isaac Asimov’s warning that “when stupidity is taken into account patriotism, it’s unsafe to be clever.”
Trump’s persevering with assaults on our universities, information and details are extraordinary risks to our democracy.
Brian Federici, Riverside
