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WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department alleged on Tuesday that the University of California, Los Angeles has failed to prevent a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students since campus protests erupted after the start of Israel’s war in Gaza<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Justice Department alleged UCLA violated federal civil rights law. The university had no immediate comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. government has been probing multiple universities<\/u><\/a>, including UCLA, for their handling of last year’s pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s military assault in Gaza, which followed an October 2023 Hamas attack<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n President Donald Trump<\/u><\/a>‘s administration has threatened to freeze federal funding for U.S. universities over the demonstrations. Rights advocates have raised concerns about free speech, academic freedom and due process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The government alleges that universities, including UCLA, did not control antisemitism during the demonstrations. Trump has repeatedly labeled pro-Palestinian protesters as antisemitic and as supporters of extremism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Protesters say the government wrongly equates criticism of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism and advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Campus protesters demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel and a commitment that their universities will cease investing in weapons makers and companies that support Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rights advocates have noted a rise in antisemitism<\/u><\/a>, Islamophobia<\/u><\/a> and anti-Arab bias<\/u><\/a> in the U.S. due to Washington ally Israel’s war in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier on Tuesday, UCLA agreed to pay over $6 million to settle a lawsuit by some students and a professor who alleged antisemitism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Concerns of anti-Palestinian incidents were also raised at UCLA in the spring of 2024, when a pro-Israeli mob stormed<\/u><\/a> and attacked the tent camp of pro-Palestinian protesters with clubs and poles in one of the most violent incidents from the protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Monday, prosecutors said a man charged with hate crime for his role in that attack entered a plea deal for a diversionary program to avoid jail time, marking the end<\/u><\/a> of the only felony case connected with that attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dozens of people were arrested during the UCLA encampment protests. Then-UCLA police chief John Thomas left the campus police<\/u><\/a> department last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Justice Department said, opens new tab<\/u><\/a> it now seeks to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement with UCLA “to ensure that the hostile environment is eliminated and reasonable steps are taken to prevent its recurrence.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last week, Columbia University in New York City said it will pay<\/u><\/a> over $200 million to the U.S. government in a settlement with the Trump administration to resolve federal probes and have most of its suspended federal funding restored.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGOVERNMENT SEEKS VOLUNTARY RESOLUTION DEAL WITH UCLA<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n