UC regents appoint pro-Israel student despite protests Appointee's views, key backer touched off high-profile protest

A protester held flowers high during the meeting at which the UC regents named Avi Oved to the board. A protester held flowers high during the meeting at which the UC regents named Avi Oved to the board. Photo: Michael Short, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Short, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close UC regents appoint pro-Israel student despite protests 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

The University of California regents confirmed a pro-Israel Jewish student to serve on the governing board Wednesday over angry objections of protesters who said he did not represent the views of most UC students.

Only Sadia Saifuddin, the student regent whose confirmation was the subject of protests last year because of her anti-Israel activities at UC Berkeley, voted against Avi Oved, a UCLA economics major, saying she couldn't go against students' will.

Oved will serve for a year as the student regent-designate before becoming a voting regent next year.

The students who addressed the regents in San Francisco - and hundreds who signed a petition against Oved - criticized him for accepting donations during a campus election from philanthropist Adam Milstein, whom they called anti-Muslim.

The students were also incensed that the regents denied a request from the UC Student Association, UC's student government, to delay confirming Oved so his ties to Milstein could be studied further.

"This student cannot represent all the students without a conflict of interest," Marium Navid, 19, a Muslim student from UC Davis, told the regents.

Opponents recently found what they called anti-Muslim tweets from Milstein, head of the pro-Israel Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation.

"Try to persuade people in Israel that Islam is a peaceful hijacked religion. They would laugh at you," one tweet said. Another referred to Palestinian participation in a women's equality forum as "equal opportunity terrorism."

Objected to funder

"Avi Oved confirmed receiving funding from the blatantly Islamophobic Adam Milstein," UC Davis student Azka Fayyaz, 19, told the regents. She accused the regents of being "complicit in Islamophobia" by selecting Oved, as students snapped their fingers in support.

The Israel-Palestinian conflict is perhaps the most divisive issue among UC students, often manifesting in passionate debates over whether UC should boycott and divest from companies doing business with Israel.

Oved opposes boycott and divestment, and has helped defeat such resolutions at UCLA.

The regents plunged into that debate last year by selecting Saifuddin, a Muslim student who had co-sponsored a successful boycott and divestment resolution at UC Berkeley, where she majors in social welfare.

Regent George Kieffer, head of the student regent selection committee, said he had received 1,400 e-mails last year opposing Saifuddin.

Regent Dick Blum abstained from the vote confirming Saifuddin, saying the student regent should "represent all students." He was absent from this year's vote.

Not all speakers opposed Oved.

"I understand where the concerns come from, but whatever his beliefs may be, they do not take away from his ability to lead," said Sneha Ravikumar, a UCLA student who supports him despite holding a different view on Israel.

Sam Levine of the Zionist Organization of America said opponents were trying to taint Oved with "guilt by association" and called their efforts a witch hunt.

As the regents prepared to vote, Kieffer said, "It may be argued that we did not listen to the UC Student Association. But listening is different from agreeing." He cited evidence of broad support for Oved, who won a campus-wide election at UCLA.

Before her vote, Saifuddin said, "I will vote no today because students demand it. And tomorrow I will start the process of supporting" him.

Supporter's views

Regent Bonnie Reiss said it was as wrong to hold Oved responsible for Milstein's views as it was to assume that President Obama shared the bigoted views of his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, as political opponents had famously tried to do.

Once approved, Oved was invited into the auditorium to take a seat with the regents.

Most opponents had left, though one shouted, "Free Palestine!"

Oved drew chuckles by calling himself a mama's boy. He thanked members of his family, who were seated in the auditorium.

Oved promised to tackle issues of concern to UC students - inadequate state support, class shortages, and the "silent epidemics" of sexual violence and mental health problems on campus.

He ended by quoting feminist writer Audre Lorde: "It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."

Oved said he hoped to do all of those things.