On November 18, the UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) voted to pass an anti-Israel divestment resolution introduced by Students for Justice in Palestine. Jewish and pro-Israel students displayed a unified front, delivering a petition signed by thousands of students with the singular message that they strongly object to the “invalid and ineffective use of student government” and that “USAC is not the forum for unrepresentative special interest groups to push their perspectives on international issues.”
The UC Regents (which has previously condemned anti-Israel divestment initiatives) and other university officials have made clear that this non-binding resolution will progress no further within the UC governing system. This was reiterated by UCLA Chancellor Block after the most recent divestment vote when he said, in part “UCLA and the UCLA Foundation share the Board of Regents conviction that divestment decisions should not hold any one organization or country to a different standard than any other. The Board of Regents does not support divestment in companies that engage in business with Israel and UCLA agrees with that position.” Read the full text here.
To view more about the Jewish and pro-Israel students’ strategy to fight against the anti-Israel movement on the UCLA campus, see:
The Unified Community Press Release: “Jewish life will continue to remain strong at UCLA irrespective of the results of tonight’s misguided initiative. We will continue to focus on building rather than destroying, hoping that one day we will be able to reach across the aisle like activists have done throughout history to elevate all of our campus communities.” Read the full text here.
The Unified Community Speech to USAC: “This isn’t a human rights resolution, it’s a PR tool that serves to target a single community…Voting “No” on this resolution doesn’t mean you support human rights violations or that you are satisfied with the status quo. Voting “No” means that you believe there’s a possibility for a better, more effective way to facilitate a conversation between two emotionally-invested communities. If you vote “Yes” on this resolution, you’ve squandered an opportunity to pioneer change.” Read the full text here.
USAC President Avinoam Baral’s Speech at the Conclusion of the Divestment Hearing: “Israel is what’s right about the Middle East.” Read the full text here.
An upcoming vote on another anti-Israel divestment resolution will take place on December 4 at a meeting of the UAW joint council local 2865, comprised of graduate student workers from the nine UC teaching campuses. Jewish and pro-Israel graduate students have been mobilizing against this resolution and have created a preemptive message that they have shared with local Jewish community organizations, fellow union members and the media. To see more about their efforts to counter this resolution, visit http://informedgrads.org/. You can also view the letter that ADL wrote to the President of the National UAW Dennis Williams recalling the union’s condemnation of anti-Israel boycotts and expressing concern with the resolution here.
ADL’s Role on College and University Campuses
ADL continues its work on campus empowering students, faculty, staff and administrators through information and education. We continue to do outreach to University Administrators, including contacting campuses nationwide prior to the start of the 2014-2015 school year to provide resources such as ADL’s Responding to Bigotry and Intergroup Strife on Campus. This publication provides information and guidance to university administrators about anti-Semitism and issues facing Jewish students. ADL staff continue to meet with high-level campus administrators to talk about how Jewish students experience anti-Israel activity on campus. We consult about ways to make the college campus a true “marketplace of ideas” where differing views are treated respectfully and constructively. ADL is uniquely positioned to educate university officials about the Jewish and pro-Israel community’s perspective and encourage them to speak out against extreme anti-Israel activity and anti-Semitism.
ADL consistently responds to non-binding student government resolutions urging divestment from Israel and companies that do business with Israel by the University of California. We expose and educate how the stated goals of the BDS movement demonstrate that the movement’s objective is to isolate Israel and her supporters, and not create conditions for peace. ADL has worked closed with the students at UCLA to help fight against BDS and other anti-Israel tactics (see: ADL Counters Anti-Israel Activities on UCLA Campus.)
ADL also works proactively to educate Jewish and pro-Israel students about responding to anti-Israel activity on their campuses. Through our interactive education program, Words to Action: Empowering Jewish Students to Address Bias on Campus, we empower and equip college and pre-college students with constructive and effective responses to combat anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias on campus. To view a sample of the programs that have been done in ADL’s Pacific Southwest Region, you can visit our blog.
As anti-Israel campaigns continue to play out on college campuses across the country, ADL will stand with our partners in the local Jewish communities and with students to counter these initiatives and advocate on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people.
For more information on anti-Israel activity on campus see ADL’s report: Anti-Israel Activity on Campus After Operation Protective Edge.