Submission: Avi Oved’s conduct shows he is unfit to represent students

As University of California students, we deserve a student representative who is transparent, honest and has the trust of his or her constituency. Avi Oved, the current student regent-designate nominee for the UC, is not that kind of representative. His reactions to emails printed by the Daily Cal showing alleged donations made to Hillel at UCLA by pro-Israel philanthropist Adam Milstein have, so far, fallen short of the ethical standards necessary for him to represent the tens of thousands of UC students as student regent-designate. His lack of transparency and accountability and his unethical behavior make it imperative that he step down or be removed as the student regent-designate nominee.

The emails show Oved actively undermined student democracy:

The email from Oved to Milstein thanking him for his “generous donation” has been authenticated by Oved, which means that in 2013, a candidate for student government office undermined the democratic process by seeking this kind of outside funding for his campaign. Though the Election Code is too flimsy to prohibit such rampant abuse, there is little question that these actions have significantly undermined public confidence in Oved’s judgment and transparency. Moreover, it is extremely troubling that Oved’s emails implied that, going forward, he would be making sure that the donor’s political preferences were fulfilled. Shouldn’t USAC officers be focused only on UCLA students’ preferences? And if student opinions contradict Oved’s donor’s opinions, who gets the final say?

Oved’s attitude toward fellow students is unbecoming of a student leader:

Oved’s attitude regarding his campaign opponent Lana El-Farra in the email shows a level of hostility that indicates that he cannot represent students with whom he disagrees. He associates El-Farra’s membership with the Muslim Students Association and advocacy for Students for Justice in Palestine as part of her record of “silencing the Jewish voice.”

Moreover, Oved’s failure to acknowledge the issue of Milstein’s shocking and repugnant bigotry, including blatant Islamophobia, anti-Arab racism and a bevy of conspiracy theories and caricatures of President Obama displayed on Milstein’s Twitter account, is another slap in the face to multiple communities on campus. Oved should have denounced those views and assured students of his anti-racism, but instead he has yet to address this issue. Further, a leaked GroupMe message shows Oved joking that he should sit on the UC Board of Regents’ Committee on Investments, ostensibly in order to block motions of divestment. This points to more than poor taste in humor – it hints at something more sinister and difficult to swallow. Clearly, regardless of how UC students feel on a particular issue, Oved’s vote has already been determined. Oved’s refusal to address Milstein’s bigotry, as well as his characterization of MSA and Students for Justice in Palestine, further demonstrate his inability to fairly represent UC students.

Oved’s response to the scandal again indicates that he is unfit for office:

Finally, Oved’s response to the revelations by the Daily Cal is perhaps just as troubling as the allegations themselves. Oved failed to attend a conference call set up by the UC Student Association in which he was supposed to address questions from students. He released a statement just before the meeting that failed to address any of the substantive issues raised against him. Finally, and most troublingly, in a closed follow-up meeting, Oved told UCSA that he had never received funds from Milstein – hours later, the Daily Cal published more personal emails that, while not yet authenticated, directly contradict Oved’s statement to UCSA. No explanation has yet been provided by Oved to explain these discrepancies. Given this pattern of behavior, it is hard to believe that his tenure as a student regent would be one of transparency and accountability.

The real issue here isn’t that there aren’t mechanisms within the USAC Election Code that force Oved or Bruins United to reveal their funding sources, although there should be; the real issue is that Oved’s actions have deeply diminished public confidence in his ability to represent students. On matters of tolerance, Oved has not had a word to say about the intolerant beliefs of his campaign supporter Milstein. On matters of transparency, Oved has avoided opportunities to clear the record, even as his statements continue to be contradicted by reports from the Daily Cal. At this point, the UCSA and UC Regents would be doing the students a disservice by appointing Oved as our representative.

Michael Oshiro is a graduate student in education at UCLA.