ET NEWS

The University of California, Berkeley has provided information on 160 students and faculty to the Trump administration as part of a federal investigation into alleged antisemitic incidents on campus. The move comes amid heightened government scrutiny of universities over pro-Palestinian protests. The University of California’s Office of the President said campuses like Berkeley often receive requests from federal and state agencies. It added, “UC is committed to protecting the privacy of our students, faculty, and staff to the greatest extent possible, while fulfilling its legal obligations.”Trump has warned of federal funding cuts for institutions accused of tolerating antisemitism. The administration alleges some campuses permitted antisemitism during demonstrations over Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian protestors, including Jewish groups, argue the government is mislabelling their criticism of Israel and advocacy for Palestinian rights as antisemitism. Legal experts have raised concerns that the administration’s actions may undermine free speech and academic freedom. Local media reported that UC Berkeley informed the 160 affected individuals that their details were provided to the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The federal government has not issued a statement. The administration has settled similar cases with other universities. Columbia University agreed to pay more than $220 million, while Brown University will pay $50 million. Settlement discussions with Harvard University continue. At UCLA, federal officials had proposed a $1 billion settlement, which California Governor Gavin Newsom rejected as an “extortion attempt.” Rights advocates highlight a parallel rise in antisemitism, anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia linked to the Middle East conflict. Critics note that the government has not launched equivalent investigations into Islamophobia.(With inputs from Reuters)