After a surge of pro-Palestinian protests erupted on college campuses in the U.S. following a terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel last year, Republican members of three U.S. House of Representatives committees are urging the University of California–San Francisco (UCSF) to address reported allegations of anti-Semitism on its campus.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s chairwoman, Cathy McMorris Rogers, sent a letter on July 31 to UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, referencing numerous complaints of anti-Semitism or hostile work environments on campus received by the university’s office of prevention of harassment and discrimination. Some of these complaints came from Jewish patients who expressed discomfort seeking treatment at the medical center.
In response to these allegations, members of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and the Subcommittee on Health have joined Rogers in seeking a detailed response from UCSF. The letter emphasized the importance of maintaining a safe learning environment free from calls for violence.
The committee highlighted media reports detailing incidents of alleged anti-Semitic behavior at UCSF, including examples of faculty making anti-Israel statements on social media. The letter also pointed out the obligation of recipients of federal health care funding through programs like Medicaid and Medicare to comply with civil rights laws to avoid the risk of losing participation in federal healthcare programs.
With UCSF receiving significant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including grants from the National Institutes of Health, the committee raised concerns about ensuring a harassment-free workplace. They requested information on the number of anti-Semitism complaints received by the university, actions taken to ensure a safe environment, and steps taken to comply with civil rights laws.
The call for information follows a wave of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the U.S. that emerged in response to last year’s attacks by Hamas on Israel. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson also announced an effort to address anti-Semitism on college campuses in April.
Efforts to obtain a response from UCSF and its public affairs office were unsuccessful at the time of publication. In related events, the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) faced legal challenges earlier this year related to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus, prompting discussions on protecting free speech while preventing discrimination and harassment. Please rephrase
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