Anti israel student named to U Cal governing board

Billy Hallowell 3 hours ago University of CaliforniaIsrael

SAN FRANCISCO (TheBlaze/AP) -- The University of California's governing board confirmed its first Muslim student member Wednesday, despite some Jewish groups' claims that she marginalized Jewish students and promoted an anti-Israel agenda.
Regents voted unanimously to ratify UC Berkeley student Sadia Saifuddin's nomination, with one regent, Richard Blum, abstaining from the vote.

Sadia Saifuddin

Sadia Saifuddin walks to take her chair after being confirmed during a University of California Board of Regents meeting Wednesday, July 17, 2013 in San Francisco. The University of California's governing board confirmed the first practicing Muslim student member to the board on Wednesday, despite opposition from some Jewish groups. UC regents voted in favor of UC Berkeley student Sadia Saifuddin's nomination. One regent, Richard Blum, abstained from the vote. Credit: AP

For weeks, Saifuddin's critics urged the regents to reject the nomination, pointing to a student government proposal Saifuddin co-sponsored calling for the university to divest from companies with economic ties to the Israeli military or Israeli settlements on the West Bank. The critics said it was evidence she is unqualified to represent all of the UC system's more than 222,000