The survivor of brutal torture at the hands of Hamas has a message for theUCLA student leaders who condemned his speaking appearanceon campus.

“If you are willing to silence a survivor of 505 days in captivity to protect a preconceived narrative, it’s worth pausing,”Omer Shem Tovexclusively told The California Post, after the university’s Undergraduate Students Association Council blasted his April 14 visit to the school to markHolocaust Remembrance Day.

“When a worldview requires you to override your own values, something is misaligned. The hope is that it’s the worldview that changes — because the values are worth keeping.”

The student association issued a statement after the event saying that a “single narrative was elevated” in Shem Tov’s appearance, adding the event organized by theschool’s Jewish organizationdidn’t provide a Palestinian perspective.

“While we affirm the humanity of all people impacted by violence, we reject the selective platforming of narratives that obscure the broader reality of ongoing state violence,” the student association added.

Shem Tov, who was taken hostage by Hamas in the October 7 attacks, was released from captivity in February 2025 after being held in the darkness of underground tunnels for more than a year and a half.

The students association’s president, Diego Bollo, told The Post that he was not present at the council meeting where members voted to issue the statement and that it passed by a “bare majority.”

“I acknowledge that this reflects a lapse in oversight on my part as President, and I take responsibility for that institutional shortcoming. To address this issue, I am initiating a review immediately of our internal processes for drafting and releasing public statements,” Bollo said.

“I deeply value free speech and free expression on our campus. I have worked throughout my term toensure that the university supports all student groups in hosting speakers and a wide range ofprogramming. Free speech is a principle I do not compromise on — regardless of the nature or subject ofany given event,” he added.

Despite the student association’s statement, Shem Tov’s manager described the survivor’s experience at UCLA as “incredibly positive and productive” and “characterized by respectful dialogue with the students, [and] specifically students who held opposing viewpoints.”

Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos