The Case
On April 25, 2025, a coalition of Jewish students and members of the UCLA community filed a lawsuit against the egregious actions of multiple groups associated with the pro-Palestinian encampments that were erected in the spring of 2024 that severely infringed upon the ability of Jewish students to safely traverse through their own campus, going as far as physical assault and threats to their lives. The suit alleges that the aforementioned groups were engaged in a conspiracy to “prevent Jewish communities on college campuses from enjoying equal access to public spaces by means of racialized violence”. The encampment utilized checkpoints and human chains, denying access to public parts of campus in the affected area (Dickson Plaza/Royce Quad).
In this manner, they created a weeklong “Jew exclusion zone” that relied on physical prevention of passage and the use of threats of and actual violence. Even after the main encampment was finally cleared by UCLA, the conspirators “continued their campaign of harassment and exclusion”—for instance, the vandalization of the private home of UC Regent Jay Sures in February 2025. The complaint stresses that, “By denying Jews equal access to public spaces on campus and subjecting them to racialized violence, Defendants violated federal and California law. Plaintiffs are entitled to relief.”
It is important to note that a similar case was brought forth by three Jewish UCLA students and a Jewish UCLA professor in June of 2024: Frankel v. Regents of the University of California. In Frankel, the court was asked to examine the role of UCLA, through their initial inaction and delayed inadequate response, in allowing Jewish students to be excluded, harassed, intimidated, and physically harmed on campus by pro-Palestinian demonstrators of the encampment and its aftermath. On August 13, 2024, the court issued a preliminary injunction, blocking UCLA from allowing antisemitic obstructions to continue on its campus. UCLA attempted to deny accountability, claiming that this campaign of exclusion was “engineered by third-party protesters”. Weinberg v. SJP is about those third parties—the ”organizations and individuals responsible for prosecuting that campaign in the first place.”
The Plaintiffs
- Nir Hoftman:
Dr. Hoftman is a Jewish anesthesiologist who works at UCLA’s medical center and has taught at UCLA’s medical school for over 22 years. On April 28, 2024, Hoftman was assaulted by members of the encampment’s “security team”—tackled to the ground after being blocked from passing through “occupied” territory of the encampment and attempting to walk around the obstruction. At the time of the encounter, Hoftman was giving an interview that made it apparent that he was Jewish and supported Israel, prompting the assault.
- Matthew Weinberg:
Weinberg is a Jewish second-year UCLA law student who seriously feared for his personal safety when passing around the area of campus engulfed by the encampment and was forced to take alternative routes to classes and study spaces.
- Dovid Gurevich:
The Rabbi of the Chabad House at UCLA was assaulted by members of a reestablished encampment’s “security team” when his phone was knocked out of his hands, damaging his screen protector and likely would have damaged the phone screen itself had the protector not been present. Rabbi Gurevich then received death threats when a member of the group threatened to beat him unconscious and stated that if he removed his mask and showed his face, as per the Rabbi’s request, he would, “have to f—king kill you”.
- Eli Tsives:
Tsives is a Jewish undergraduate student at UCLA studying political science who was repeatedly denied entry through the encampment’s checkpoints due to his visible Star of David necklace and was forced to take alternative routes to classes. Since then, Tsives has become a strong advocate for the Jewish community at UCLA and for Jewish students across the country, amplifying the stories and voices of the many Jewish students who feel they have been silenced by the other side.
The Defendants
- National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP):
SJP is a nationwide membership association across colleges and universities that aims to “develop a student movement connected, disciplined, and equipped” to pursue activities related to Palestine “liberation”. In the spring of 2024, they established a network of over 350 campus “solidarity organizations”, including UCLA, responsible for the organization of the hostile encampments. Together with its UCLA chapter, National SJP was responsible for coordinating between SJP and other Defendants to plan, construct, supply, promote, recruit for, and “defend” the encampment.
- John Doe #1:
John Doe is the placeholder name given to the student President of UCLA’s SJP chapter at the time of the encampment, April/May 2024, who cannot yet be identified because SJP instructs its members to engage in tactics (such as facial coverings) designed to conceal and prevent the identification of members, especially of higher-ranking chapter officials. As President, Doe would have been responsible for the direction and execution of efforts to “occupy” university territories and “guard” the encampment. He would also have been responsible for securing funding and planning materials from National SJP and its fiscal sponsor, Defendant Westchester People’s Action Coalition (WESPAC). He would also have been responsible for the approval of recruitment efforts designed to grow the encampment and involve more people in SJP, students or not.
- AJP (Americans for Justice in Palestine) Educational Foundation, Inc.:
AJP is a California nonprofit that provides financial support and organizational capacity to groups like SJP. AJP is under investigation for potential terrorist fundraising as it has alarming ties to Hamas, the terrorist group responsible for the heinous October 7th attack on Israel. There is a significant connection between American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), an organization associated with AJP, and individuals who worked for organizations that are proven by federal authorities to act in support of Hamas. Six members of AMP’s core leadership were members of the board of the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), a defunct constituent organization that was part of the larger “Palestine Committee” established by the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Hamas charter refers to itself as being a wing of.
- Osama Aburshaid:
Aburshaid is the Executive Director of AMP (American Muslims for Palestine), who retained control over AMP’s decision to cooperate with SJP’s conspiracy to construct the UCLA encampment. Aburshaid is also a former board member of IAP and creates propaganda for Hamas, such as his interviews with Hamas leadership and features on the website of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Additionally, Aburshaid has expressed public support for Hamas, a federally recognized terrorist organization.
- Hatem Al-Bazian:
Al-Bazian is the Chairman of AMP’s Board of Directors who exercised control over their decision to cooperate with SJP’s conspiracy to establish the UCLA encampment. Al-Bazian was also a speaker and fundraiser for the Palestine Committee and member of other Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organizations. Al-Bazian is also the creator of the first chapter of SJP, established at UC Berkeley in 1993.
- Faculty for Justice in Palestine Network:
FJP is a nationwide membership association composed of chapters at various universities, including UCLA. FJP repeatedly amplifies SJP efforts of making public spaces unsafe for “Zionist” (Jewish) students, including the encampment.
- UC Divest Coalition:
UC Divest is a California-based unincorporated association composed of individuals and entities that aim to pressure the University of California (UC) system into “divesting” from Israel and who conspired with SJP in their construction of a fortified encampment in April 2024.
- WESPAC (Westchester People’s Action Coalition) Foundation:
WESPAC is a New York nonprofit organization that acted as the financial benefactor for SJP and similar organizations. WESPAC receives and administers donations on behalf of such organizations for use on “projects in the United States” and receives tax-exempt donations and grants on behalf of SJP as its fiscal sponsor. The IRS mandates that fiscal sponsors must retain “control and discretion over use of the funds”, which are supposed to be used for charitable purposes, making WESPAC responsible for how SJP utilizes the funds extended to them.
- People’s City Council:
People’s City Council is a Los Angeles-based unincorporated association that describes itself as an “abolitionist, anti-capitalist, and anti-imperialist collective”. The Council extensively employed social media to promote and recruit for the UCLA encampment, issuing lots of “urgently needed” supplies such as shields, airsoft goggles, gas masks, helmets, wood for barricades, and umbrellas, all of which suggest preparation for violence and physical altercation.
The Law
- 42 U.S.C. §1985(3): Conspiracy to Interfere with Civil Rights
Defendants displayed substantial coordination in gathering support for an encampment designed to intimidate and suppress Jewish students through social media posts, demonstrating that this was a common plan composed by a coalition of actors. This plan resulted in each of the Plaintiffs being deprived of their civil rights, such as equal protection of the laws and equal privilege to use public places open to the entire UCLA community without fear or intimidation. This refers to Defendants National SJP, Doe #1, AJP, FJP, UC Divest, WESPAC, and People’s City Council.
- 42 U.S.C. §1986: Failure to Prevent Conspiracy Against Rights
This section states that anyone who has knowledge of a plan of wrongdoings conspired to be committed and has the power to either prevent or aid in preventing the actions from being committed and neglects to do so is liable for all damages caused by the act. This refers to Defendants Doe #1, Aburshaid, and Al-Bazian.
- Cal. Civil Code §51.7: Ralph Civil Rights Act of 1976
This act states that all people in the state of California retain the right to be free from violence or intimidation on the basis of race or ethnicity. This refers to Defendants National SJP, Doe #1, AJP, FJP, UC Divest, WESPAC, and People’s City Council.
- Cal. Civil Code §52.1: Tom Bane Civil Rights Act
This act secures a right of legal action against anyone who acts against the law by threatening, intimidating, or suppressing rights assured by the Constitution or laws of the United States or of California. This refers to Defendants National SJP, Doe #1, AJP, FJP, UC Divest, WESPAC, and People’s City Council.
- California Civil Conspiracy
In California, “[t]he elements of an action for civil conspiracy are the formation and operation of the conspiracy and damage resulting to plaintiff from an act or acts done in furtherance of the common design.” An essential aspect of a conspiratorial agreement is knowledge on the part of the alleged conspirators of its unlawful objective, which can be inferred from the nature of the act of preventing Jewish students from accessing public areas and using violence and intimidation to enforce this. This refers to Defendants National SJP, Doe #1, AJP, FJP, UC Divest, WESPAC, and People’s City Council.
Asks of the Court
- A declaratory judgment that the actions of the Defendants deprived the Plaintiffs of their rights under state and federal law.
- Compensatory and statutory damages in an amount to be determined at trial, meaning monetary compensation aimed to make a party whole for actual losses (compensatory) and of an additional amount, not based on actual harm, to be determined by the law (statutory).
- Punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial, meaning monetary compensation awarded to punish the defendant for egregious misconduct and set an example to the public against such behavior.
- Interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs, as allowed by law.
- Other relief as the Court deems necessary and just.
In Conclusion…The entirety of the case highlights the shocking reality that has occurred on our campus in the wake of October 7th, culminating with the violent encampment last spring. It feels entirely surreal that in the 21st century, in the United States of America, we face such blatant antisemitism brewing on the campuses of some of the nation’s most prestigious universities. However, this case also highlights that these acts were of much deeper orchestration than could have been produced by merely student protesters acting alone. In fact, the conspiracy was so much bigger than just students voicing their support for the “Free Palestine” movement that there have been found numerous ties connecting these groups to Hamas, essentially acting as their propagandistic agents on American soil. Hamas is a federally recognized terrorist group who explicitly stands as a threat to Jews, Israel, America, and the West. Their founding charter states that, “The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.” Anyone who acts in support of such a heinous organization and, in doing so, themselves engages in acts that infringe upon the civil rights of fellow Americans, such as the right of Jewish students to use public spaces on their own campus (which they pay substantial tuition for), should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We promised “Never again” eighty years ago—now is the time to ensure that it really is never again, and that is what the brave plaintiffs of this case are doing on behalf of us all.
The views expressed in this post reflect the views of the author(s) and not UCLA or ASUCLA Communications Board.
Cover Image: Ha’Am Stock
