Free speech must apply to everyone at UC —not just the radical left
University of California Regent Jay Sures questioned whether free speech on UC campuses applies equally to all viewpoints, noting the contrast between hosting a Palestinian militant and opposing a former Israeli hostage's speech. The editorial criticizes UCLA's student government for protesting a speech by Omer Shem Tov, a freed hostage, while UC Berkeley previously hosted Israa Jaabis, a convicted would-be bomber. The piece argues that free speech is under threat at UC campuses, where ideological bias is replacing the principle of open discourse.
- ▪UC Regent Jay Sures raised concerns about unequal application of free speech across University of California campuses.
- ▪Israa Jaabis, a would-be Palestinian bomber, appeared remotely at UC Berkeley, while former Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov faced protests at UCLA.
- ▪UCLA law students disrupted a speech by Department of Homeland Security general counsel James Percival.
- ▪The editorial argues that UC campuses, once champions of free expression, now suppress conservative and pro-Israel voices.
- ▪Berkeley was the birthplace of the 1960s Free Speech Movement, but the editorial claims it has since become hostile to diverse viewpoints.
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Opinion Free speech must apply to everyone at UC —not just the radical left By CA Post Editorial Board Published May 2, 2026, 6:00 p.m. ET University of California Regent Jay Sures asked the right question this week about free speech on campus: Does it apply to everyone equally? Or just the far left? Specifically: If a Palestinian terrorist has free speech at UC Berkeley, why can’t a former Israeli hostage have free speech at UCLA? Sures was reacting to the shocking appearance — via remote link — of would-be Palestinian terrorist Israa Jaabis, who tried to ignite a gas tank to kill Israelis. She ended up burning herself and a police officer.
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