The survivor of brutal torture at the hands of Hamas has a message for the UCLA student leaders who condemned his speaking appearance on campus.
“If you are willing to silence a survivor of 505 days in captivity to protect a preconceived narrative, it’s worth pausing,” Omer Shem Tov exclusively told The California Post, after the university’s Undergraduate Students Association Council blasted his April 14 visit to the school to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“When a worldview requires you to override your own values, something is misaligned. The hope is that it’s the worldview that changes — because the values are worth keeping.”
The student association issued a statement after the event saying that a “single narrative was elevated” in Shem Tov’s appearance, adding the event organized by the school’s Jewish organization didn’t provide a Palestinian perspective.
“While we affirm the humanity of all people impacted by violence, we reject the selective platforming of narratives that obscure the broader reality of ongoing state violence,” the student association added.
Shem Tov, who was taken hostage by Hamas in the October 7 attacks, was released from captivity in February 2025 after being held in the darkness of underground tunnels for more than a year and a half.
The students association’s president, Diego Bollo, told The Post that he was not present at the council meeting where members voted to issue the statement and that it passed by a “bare majority.”
“I acknowledge that this reflects a lapse in oversight on my part as President, and I take responsibility for that institutional shortcoming. To address this issue, I am initiating a review immediately of our internal processes for drafting and releasing public statements,” Bollo said.
“I deeply value free speech and free expression on our campus. I have worked throughout my term to
ensure that the university supports all student groups in hosting speakers and a wide range of
programming. Free speech is a principle I do not compromise on — regardless of the nature or subject of
any given event,” he added.
Despite the student association’s statement, Shem Tov’s manager described the survivor’s experience at UCLA as “incredibly positive and productive” and “characterized by respectful dialogue with the students, [and] specifically students who held opposing viewpoints.”
“Given that atmosphere, I am quite surprised by the student government’s condemnation,” the manager added.
UCLA also released a statement in support of the event.
“The event’s message was one of resilience and respect for human rights and dignity — a message we support,” the school said, adding that UCLA’s chancellor attended the event.
“We will review the process by which this letter was issued,” the statement added. “The condemnation of such a peaceful event to share a story of resilience in the face of extreme suffering is antithetical to the values of our Bruin community.”
UCLA has been under increased scrutiny following months of protests and on-campus encampments protesting Israel’s war in Gaza.
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against the university and moved to restrict its funding, alleging it failed to address antisemitic harassment and a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students.
The Department of Justice has reportedly sought a $1.2 billion settlement while also targeting previously suspended research grants at the college.
Jewish students make up an estimated 9% of UCLA’s undergraduate population, or roughly 3,100 to 4,000 students.
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