Following the vandalization and protest at University of California regent Jonathan Sures’s home by anti-Israel activists, 500 Los Angeles entertainment, Jewish community, and civic leaders issued an open letter demanding action by law enforcement and the university system.
The solidarity letter organized by the Jewish Federation Los Angeles (JFEDLA) was signed by actors, including Michael Douglas, David Schwimmer, Debra Messing, Julianna Margulies, Mayim Bialik, and Noa Tisby. It called for investigation and accountability to be held for last Wednesday’s protest at Sures’s home demanding that the UC adopt anti-Israel policies. Sures is the vice chairman of United Talent Agency.
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The protest of about 70 activists was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine UCLA, Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine UCLA, and Rank & File academic workers group at UCLA. The protesters defaced the Sures family garage with bloody handprints. Hand prints were also placed on other structures on the property, and flyers about Sures were placed on his car, the letter said.
The letter said a mob had surrounded Sures’s wife’s car, “restricting her movement.” A video of a woman standing by her vehicle was published by SJP UCLA on Thursday and seemed to corroborate the claim. The anti-Israel group said the Sures household had failed “to break through our presence” and retreated “back to the garage.”
The Los Angeles community and industry leaders said Sures was singled out among 18 regents. One sign said: “Divest now, or you will pay.” A banner that had police officers portrayed as dead cartoon pigs said Sures would pay until he saw his final day.
Combatting antisemitism
“Sures has been a steadfast advocate, outspoken in his commitment to protecting Jewish students and ensuring that UC remains a safe and inclusive space for all,” the letter said.
“He has used his platform to combat antisemitism and push back against false narratives about Israel. This attack is an attempt to silence those who stand against hate. We will never tolerate the suppression of free speech through intimidation. We urge local elected officials and university leadership to unequivocally condemn the protesters’ unlawful and antisemitic actions and reaffirm their commitment to protecting the safety and dignity of all individuals and groups, including the Jewish community.”
In a statement last Thursday, the three activist groups claimed responsibility for the protest and said those criticizing their protest actions to present Sures as a victim were developing an “inverted narrative” that was “especially egregious as the Zionist state has ramped up its aggression in the West Bank.”
“We pronounce Jonathan Sures guilty of bankrolling the genocide against Palestinians and profiting off of the demolition of their homes and lives,” the statement said, reiterating demands for all UC institutions to divest from Israel-linked organizations and boycott all academic ties with Israeli institutions.
Sures “led the UC’s efforts in suppressing pro-Palestine speech and expression on campus,” the statement said, adding that “regents have repeatedly kicked us out of their meetings, canceled forums for public comment, and criminalized our attempts to protest investment policies.”
It said Sures was cowardly for staying in his home and having a line of police create a barrier between his home and the demonstrators.
“We won’t stop until our demands are met – no amount of police protection or mansion walls can shield him from accountability,” the statement said. “While Palestinians are returning to rubble, we will not let you sleep comfortably in your mansion. You have blood on your hands. Dear Jonathan Sures: We’ll be back.”