Media Executive Jay Sures Targets of Anti-Israel Protest Outside Home

University of Pennsylvania student Noah Rubin joined America's Newsroom to discuss President Donald Trump's executive order cancelling visas of students involved in the anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses.

Media super agent Jay Sures condemned a group of anti-Israel protesters who vandalized his California home and surrounded his wife's car during a frightening ordeal for his family.

Sures, vice chair of United Talent Agency and member of the University of California (UC) Board of Regents, reported that the group swarmed outside his Brentwood home, vandalizing garage doors with red handprints and displaying banners with death threats.

While home at the time, when his wife attempted to leave, the protesters surrounded her vehicle for 15 minutes, leaving her terrified. Sures, a strong supporter of Israel, had previously influenced UC's decision to prohibit political statements on departmental homepages.

Dozens of masked protesters descended on Sures' home at approximately 6:15 a.m., banging drums and holding a banner reading, "Jonathan Sures you will pay until you see your final day." They strung yellow caution tape in his front garden and placed posters with Sures' image on his garage doors.

Some posters highlighted messages like, "Diverse now, or you will pay," and a large banner declared, "Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest." This phrase serves as a rallying cry for those advocating to end business with Israel.

Sures expressed disappointment that the hateful and antisemitic group targeted him and his wife. He expressed confidence that LAPD and UCLA would identify and prosecute those responsible for the vandalism, threats, and harassment toward his wife.

While this was the first protest at his residence, Sures felt the group crossed a line by personally targeting him and his family. He emphasized the importance of peaceful protests, stating that the way protesters targeted his family constituted an escalation.

The LAPD and UCLA Police did respond to the incident, but no arrests were made. The Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA took responsibility for organizing the protest, claiming Sures aimed to intimidate faculty and students who opposed the genocide in Gaza.

In their statement, protesters accused Sures of suppressing pro-Palestine speech on campus by canceling forums and criminalizing protest attempts. They expressed that bringing their issues to the regents was necessary due to actions that had militarized the campus.

Sures had mentioned an incident in November 2023 where he criticized a faculty council’s defense of Hamas’ attacks on Israel and called for UC leaders to stop labeling the attacks as terrorism. The University reiterated its commitment to free speech and condemned all harassment against its community members.