
UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons forcefully defended his institution against allegations of tolerating antisemitism during a congressional hearing on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The hearing, which also included leaders from the City University of New York (CUNY) and Georgetown University, was the latest in a series of high-profile clashes between universities and Republicans over the campus climate for Jewish students following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Lyons pushed back on assertions that his administration has failed to address anti-Jewish hatred, although he conceded that antisemitism present in society is also reflected on his campus. “Public universities are reflections of society, and I believe that the antisemitism in society is present on our campus,” Lyons stated, as quoted by the Times.
In a heated exchange with Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI), Lyons maintained that “Most Jewish students feel safe on our campus.” When pressed on why some did not, he was accused of “avoiding the question” by the congresswoman.
Republicans on the House Education and Workforce Committee focused on faculty members accused of antisemitism and demanded transparency regarding universities’ foreign funding. Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) specifically questioned Lyons about an endowed program in Palestinian and Arab studies, pressing him to disclose foreign funding.
Lyons refused, stating, “As a public university, I am not ready to commit to that on the fly. There are different donors to the university who request anonymity… I’d be very, very happy to be very transparent about exactly what is our process for vetting those things.”
Lyons also faced scrutiny over a professor’s February 2024 social media post that read, “I could have been one of those who broke through the siege on October 7,” which was a quote from a linked article. When asked by Rep. McClain what the professor meant, Lyons said, “I believe it was a celebration of the terrorist attack on October 7.” However, he declined to condemn the professor, referring to him as a “fine scholar.”
In February, the Trump administration launched new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five US universities, including Berkeley.
In April of last year, a Jewish law student at Berkeley was punched in the face by an anti-Israel protester.
Two months earlier, Jewish students at UC Berkeley were forced to evacuate an on-campus theater as a mob of anti-Israel protesters violently stormed a pro-Israel event.
Three months ago, a US federal judge ruled that two Jewish advocacy organizations may proceed with a lawsuit against Berkeley, accusing the institution of permitting persistent antisemitic harassment of Jewish students and faculty.
Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, 82 Jewish faculty members signed a letter of support for Lyons, stating, “As Jewish faculty who frequently engage with campus leadership and remain vigilant about the well-being of the Jewish campus community, we reject the claim that UC Berkeley is an antisemitic environment.”
The letter, organized by professors Ken Goldberg and Ethan Katz, added, “We write to affirm that we feel secure on campus and support the administration’s efforts to balance safety with respect for free speech.”