UC President Mark G. Yudof released an open letter calling on UC students, faculty and staff members to “foster a climate of tolerance, civility and open-mindedness,” reports Angela Swartz of the California Aggie.
Yudof specifically addressed recent anti-Israel incidents on UC campuses. He denounced students who heckled speakers at a UC Davis Feb. 27 event, “Israeli Soldiers Speak Out.” He also condemned vandals on the UC Riverside campus who scrawled the word “terrorists” on an Israeli flag which the local Hillel group was displaying.
“With our Chancellors, I remain committed to the principle of balancing protection of free speech and promoting strategies to foster an environment where all students, faculty, staff members and guests can feel safe and respected — no matter their individual characteristics or viewpoints,” Yudof wrote.