Dear UCSF Community,

I write today to address a serious matter involving individuals who are circulating an antisemitic flyer on our campus containing the statement, “We do not want any Zionists or former IDF soldiers that support or have participated in this genocide, taking care of our families.” Let me be clear that this language is antisemitic, hateful, divisive, and inaccurate.

Messages like this threaten members of our community and have no place at UCSF. The flyer politicizes Zionism and compulsory military service in Israel, and this is wrong, misleading, stigmatizing, and harmful.

The UCSF Police Department is investigating this situation and working to determine whether the individuals circulating the flyers are members of the UCSF community. We are prepared to take all appropriate actions available to us under the law and UC/UCSF policies.

We must stand together and denounce antisemitism and hate in all its forms. At UCSF we each have the responsibility to reject actions, views, and language that target people based on any protected class.

Our community and mission are built on the values of respect and inclusion. I am proud of the Jewish and Israeli members of the UCSF community, including the physicians and other care professionals who provide compassionate care to all our patients without bias or favor. To our Jewish and Israeli learners, faculty, and staff, I recognize the pain, isolation, and fear that messages like this cause. I want you to know that you are valued and supported here at UCSF.

We are living through a time of immense global conflict and pain. Many among us carry deep personal connections to those who are suffering. In moments like this, it is critically important that we work to ensure that our campus remains a place of safety, respectful dialogue, and mutual care. Let us continue to affirm our PRIDE values and support each other in our shared mission to advance health for all.

Sincerely,

Sam Hawgood, MBBS
Chancellor
Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor