Anti-Divestment Materials

UC Berkeley rejects bill condemning boycotts of Israeli academic institutions

[caption id="attachment_175009390" align="aligncenter" width="563"]From the Daily Cal, Photo by Arielle Hayat From the Daily Cal, Photo by Arielle Hayat[/caption]

From the Daily Cal: More than 100 students, professors, UC alumni and other community members gathered in Anna Head Alumnae Hall to voice their opinions on Senate Bill 11, titled “A Bill in Support of the Free Flow of Ideas and International Academic Collaboration,” which was sponsored by Student Action Senator Ori Herschmann.

The bill called for the ASUC to endorse “academic freedom” and to support academic exchanges such as those between UC Berkeley and Israeli academic institutions.

In particular, the bill called for the ASUC to reject academic boycotts against Israeli academic institutions, such as those by the American Studies Association and the Association for Asian American Studies. The American Studies Association voted to boycott Israeli academic institutions on the grounds that these institutions are subject to state policies that allegedly violate human rights.

The bill also called for the ASUC to denounce a student-organized event scheduled for next week that, among other points, advocates an academic boycott of Israel. The International Day of Action on College Campuses for Palestine, scheduled for Tuesday, calls for no “academic complicity” with the Israeli government, according to the event’s Facebook page — including no study abroad programs in Israel and no joint research or conferences with Israeli institutions.

Such academic boycotts, the bill asserts, are violations of academic freedom.

When the committee floor opened for public comment, many opponents of the bill brought up the institutional academic roadblocks for Palestinian students under Israeli law.

Viveka Jagadeesan, a campus junior and member of Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Berkeley, opposed the bill, saying its language was problematic. She said it failed to clarify that the academic boycott applies only to Israeli institutions with “discriminatory policies,” not to individual Israeli academics.

Additionally, she said the contents of the bill contradicted its claim to support free speech.

“When I read the bill, I was quite struck that the bill claimed to support the free flow of ideas when one of its calls to action was to condemn a student-organized event on campus,” Jagadeesan said.

Resources:

Kumars Salehi in the Daily Cal: Anti-BDS bill would have stifled free speech on campus

Letter from prominent academics against the bill

SJP at UCLA defeats “anti-divestment” bill

In October of 2013, a bill supporting “positive investments” and denouncing divestment was presented to the UCLA student government. It was eventually struck down by a 7-5-0 margin, preserving the ability of the council to engage on the question of divestment from companies that profit from the occupation of the Palestinian territories. Below is SJP at UCLA’s press release on the issue, as well as the following links to statements and reference materials:

1. Op-Ed in Daily Bruin on the irrelevance of “positive investment”

2. Berkeley president DeeJay Pepito’s solidarity statement

3. Irvine External Vice President Melissa Gamble’s solidarity statement

4. Stanford Students for Palestinian Equal Rights solidarity statement

5. Sam Bahour letter to UCLA regarding positive investment

6. Letter from Jewish solidarity activists

7. Letter from JVP-LA activist Estee Chandler

 

STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 23, 2013
SJPUCLA1 @ GMAIL.COM

ANTI-DIVESTMENT RESOLUTION DEFEATED AT UCLA UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES

With 7 votes against and 5 in favor, the UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council voted last night to defeat a resolution that threatened the ability for students to pursue divestment from companies tied to the Israeli occupation.

The resolution, entitled “A Resolution In Support of Positive Steps Towards an Israeli-Palestinian Peace” framed divestment as a source of tension on campus, while also calling for “positive investment” in a basket of companies loosely affiliated with both Israelis and Palestinians.

Over a hundred students attended the hearings, which lasted until 3am on October 23rd. Over the course of two and a half hours of public comment, over 40 students from a variety of campus communities spoke against the bill, arguing that its claims to support community engagement were hypocritical given the exclusion of SJP from the bill’s writing process; wide ranging criticism by Palestinians of “positive investment,” and criticism of the attempt to bar divestment from public debate. Two council members admitted to having taken free trips to Israel sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League, which has actively opposed divestment bills at the University of California system and campaigned against SJPs.

Council members responded by systematically removing clauses that spoke on behalf of Palestinians or limited their ability to engage in divestment activism. Eventually the bill lost support and failed when put to a vote. Students for Justice in Palestine board member Angélica Becerra commented “I am very happy with tonight’s outcome. It shows great resiliency on the part of SJP and that our community support is very strong.”

Members of SJP expressed hope that efforts to prevent debate around divestment would continue to be unsuccessful, while the statewide campaign against efforts to remove university investments from companies enabling the occupation would continue to gain momentum across the state.

Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA was founded in 2005 and is a coalition of students working in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. 

ADL and Blue Star PR fund Israel Tours this Summer

This summer student leaders  have participated in tours of Israel funded by the Anti-Defamation League and Blue Star PR, as well as several other pro-Israel groups. With divestment resolutions sweeping the California university system, these trips are providing student leaders with a misrepresentation of the Palestinian struggle. Reports from the trips portray their celebration of violence and militarism, tokenization of minority and oppressed communities, and failure to engage seriously with questions of Palestinian rights. In her article for Mondoweiss.net Rebecca Pierce points out some of  the effects of the Blue Star trip:

“After being exposed to such a hostile and cartoonish view of Palestinians, it is hard to imagine these students seeing their Arab, Muslim, and pro-Palestinian peers as anything other than enemies of Israel and supporters of terrorism. One also has to question the efficacy of a program that leaves participants with such a limited view of the conflict, even in terms of achieving BlueStar’s own stated goals.”

These trips and their effects on the college students that participate are also being documented by these agencies, as Pierce explains:

“In over fifty entries on the BlueStar Fellows program blog (penned with the assistance of a writing coach) participants from UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, San Francisco State, San Jose State, and Pitzer College reflect on a trip itinerary that often glorifies Israeli state violence while promoting a dehumanized image of Palestinians. The accounts provide insight into the sensational approach to the conflict pushed by some hardline Israel advocacy groups, and raise questions about the impact of their tactics in the battle for the hearts and minds of US college students.”

It is imperative that we hold these student leaders accountable, especially given that these tours are giving student government representatives a skewed if not incomplete view of the conflict. These reports also raise ethical questions about student senators who benefit from funded trips and then may be asked to vote on questions about university funds tied to Israel’s occupation policies. Click here to read more of Rebecca’s powerful piece at Mondoweiss.net, and for more info on the ADL trip as well, click here.

 

 

Berkeley Chancellor Birgenau decries divestment vote, urges “dialogue” instead

To the members of the UC Berkeley community:

In the wake of the ASUC Senate’s passage of SB 160, “A Bill In Support of Human Rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” I want to offer some thoughts about how we can move forward as a campus community. I also want to acknowledge that this may be the first step in a process that could, among other things, include consideration of other proposed bills that support Israeli-Palestinian cooperation.

As you all know, the ASUC is an independent student organization, and its vote in this matter will not change investment policy established by the Regents of the University of California. In addition, it is my personal opinion that targeting a single nation or state in this highly complex world is not appropriate and does little to advance the cause of peace and coexistence. Ultimately, we believe that engaging in dialogue on these difficult issues is the best hope that we have for achieving peace. It is the path that we hope world leaders will follow and our students will emulate.

This, of course, is not the first time that the Israeli divestment issue has arisen on this campus and I sincerely hope that we can avoid the rancor and divisiveness that arose in the wake of a previous ASUC vote in 2010, even as we support every student’s right to freedom of expression and acknowledge the diversity of views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  As Chancellor, a pillar of my vision for UC Berkeley has been to create a campus where equity and inclusion are fundamental values that sustain our principles of community and allow freedom of expression to occur through civilized and informed debate.

At the same time, all of our students must feel that the campus is a safe and inclusive environment for them, one in which they have the freedom to express their views without fear of intimidation. In fact, UCPD has informed me of its investigation into a recent incident on Sproul Plaza in which, according to preliminary eyewitness accounts, a Berkeley student handing out pro-divestment flyers was struck in the face. I am deeply concerned by these initial reports and must state in no uncertain terms that this behavior is unacceptable in our community.  We will take firm steps to bring perpetrators of such acts to justice. Our Principles of Community require that debate on our campus–even debate over emotional and important issues such as these–remain civil and respectful.

I and members of my administration will continue to work hard to build and sustain the sort of campus climate that I believe we all benefit from. We will also continue to support efforts like The Olive Tree Initiative, a student-led endeavor that is fostering dialogue and discussion here on campus and in the Middle East. Above all, we hope and expect that the ongoing discussion and dialogue about the conflicts in the Middle East will happen in a manner that respects and acknowledges the views and beliefs of others.

Sincerely,
Robert J. Birgeneau

Link to original

Pressure letters sent to senators at UC Riverside

1. 

Dear ASUCR Senators,

I was shocked by your decision last month to adopt a resolution supporting divestment from U.S. companies accused to profit from the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, but then I learned with great satisfaction that you had decided to rescind your decision, thus creating a more open space, free of intolerance and hostility on your campus. You are to be commended for recognizing that your first decision was erroneous, and more importantly for taking the right corrective action by rescinding it. It is a sign of wisdom and maturity to re-examine a decision once more facts are made known.

The supporters of divestment present a distorted image of the reality Israel is facing. The “oppression” the Palestinians complain about incessantly is due entirely to their rejection of every peace offer Israel has made over the years, and to their refusal to meet with Israeli officials to negotiate the terms of a final peace agreement between the two peoples. They could have had their own state and live in peace side by side with Israel in 1948, 2000 and 2008, and could still do so at any time today. But instead they chose war and terrorism in a vain attempt to win it all and have to make no concessions. When they decide to make peace, the occupation will end, and with it the perceived need to hold hostage millions of students on American and Canadians campuses for a cause that few are really interested in.

50 years ago Martin Luther King Jr. sent his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” to address the commonly repeated notion that the south was not yet ready for civil rights. He responded by quoting Chief Justice Earl Warren by saying “justice too long delayed is justice denied.” I urge you to stand on the right side of history, right now, in the name of freedom, justice, and equality for all people, it being understood that “all people” means Israelis and Palestinians alike, not just the Palestinians alone.

Adopting a resolution calling for divestment was the wrong thing to do last month, and it remains the wrong thing to do today. Thank you for your courage and integrity.

Signed: XXX

***

2.

Dear Senator,

I know that tonight’s debate on divestment will be emotional. Both sides will be passionate. But I as a responsible representative of the student body—and the University at large—I hope you’ll base your decision on FACTS. It’s for this reason that I attach a one-page fact sheet (pdf) on the BDS issue. I hope you’ll take a minute to read these indisputable facts. If you do, I believe you’ll conclude that the BDS movement does NOT support the aspirations of the Palestinian people for self-determination . . . and that this movement is led by people who fundamentally OPPOSE the right of the Jewish people to have a state in Israel. But the facts speak for themselves. Please review before voting tonight. And thank you for your commitment to truth and justice.

Best regards,

XXX

P.S. If it’s easier for you, you can view this information online at http://www.factsandlogic.org/ad_123.html

***

3.

Dear ASUCR Senators

I am a third year student at the University and I was deeply appalled by the divestment from Israel Resolution. I feel that it was wrong because it marginalize me. The divestment allows for the singling out of not only Israeli and Jewish organizations on campus, but also of Israeli and Jewish students, it is unacceptable for a University of UCR’s caliber to be prejudice against a group. It is also depressing because as the Senators I voted for I expected a less discriminating and more accepting decision. I don’t feel accepted on this campus and I keep wondering who supports this resolution and who is against it. Who welcomes me and who thinks my country commits acts of genocide I also want to say you have taken a side by passing this resolution. You, ASUCR, are no longer neutral in this conflict. You have stated that ASUCR believes that Israel is partaking in Apartheid. This is a huge accusation. You also have stated in your resolution a number of war crimes and injustices that have not been proven by facts or have happened.

Does the Senate speak for me because I disagree. To compare Israel to South African Apartheid is absolutely offensive. I hope the Senate realizes they have made a statement to California, to American and to a whole Country. That no other Country has made that no other governing body has made.

Honestly, I would like to believe you have been manipulated into taking stance in a huge political stake, but the worst thing about this is that I am a disappointed

***

4. 

This is in regards to the divestment vote that just passed, I am extremely upset that a vote on a matter such as this was done in almost complete secrecy. The student population had a right to know when this vote was occurring and should have been given the right to protest this, in fact there was no effort on the part of ASUCR to let the student population know about this vote. I hope that you will veto this passed vote, if not there will be protests and formal letters of complaints mailed to all UCR officials, and media outlets about the injustice that has occurred on our campus.

 

***

5.

Dear President Yudof, Chancellor Conoley, and ASUCR Senators,

Today I write to you as a Highlander Alumni, as a Highlander alumni who is ashamed to be a Highlander Alumni. It has come across my attention that the ASUCR Senate has passed a resolution to divest from Israel. This means that ASUCR has come to resolution that UCR should not do business with any companies in which are associated with Israel. First, I want to thank the senators who voted against this resolution. As an alumni, and as a former ASUCR Senator myself, I am disgusted that the ASUCR Senate would pass a resolution filled with fallacy and out right lies. This document is full of fallacy, lies, and deceit about Israel and the Jewish people as a whole. As a Jew, I feel singles out by such a resolution, in which is passed by my alma mater. In addition to inspiring hatred of Israel, its people, and of Jews, this document is filled with historical inaccuracies and defamation. There is no academic value and no integrity to such a resolution being passed by ASUCR or an AS Senate anywhere in the UC System. The mission of the UC is to teach, to research and to do public service. The goal of a University such as ours is to promote the exchange of free ideas and knowledge. This resolution does NOT do that, it actually promote hatred and dishonesty. This deceitful resolution does not accomplish any of the University’s missions or goals. Mr. President, Madame Chancellor, and distinguished Senators, I know I speak for myself, other alumni and current students of both UCR and of UC when I say that this has NO place at our University. Therefore, Mr. President, Madame Chancellor, and Senators, I URGE you to repeal this resolution and to strike it from any official record.

Respectfully Submitted,

xxx

J Street head Jeremy Ben Ami writes to oppose Stanford Divestment

To the Student Government of Stanford University,

J Street strongly opposes the views and positions such as those captured at the Palestinian BDS National Committee’s website, www.bdsmovement.net. As laid out in that site, the BDS movement fails to explicitly to recognize Israel’s right to exist and it ignores or rejects Israel’s role as a national home for the Jewish people. In addition, the promotion by some in the BDS movement of the return to Israel of Palestinian refugees from 1948 and their families indicates support for an outcome incompatible with a two-state solution to the conflict.

J Street recognizes the legitimate and urgent concerns related to peace, justice and human rights that have motivated calls on college campuses and beyond to boycott certain Israeli products or divest from U.S. companies that support continuing Israeli policies of occupation and settlement expansion, or for governments to impose sanctions on Israel. We recognize that the sluggish pace of diplomatic progress toward a two-state solution motivates some of these efforts. However, the urgent need for peace will not be reached through alienation. J Street believes that a peace resolution will be reached through international, and more specifically regional, cooperation. Long-term progress will be achieved through diplomatic means, not isolation.

We oppose the occupation of the West Bank and the expansion and entrenchment of settlements there. We also oppose encroachment on Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem, which must be part of a future Palestinian capital if a two-state outcome is to be achieved.

J Street believes, however, that these legitimate concerns are best addressed through urgent pursuit and implementation of a two-state resolution to the conflict. A two-state resolution is, in our view, the only way for Israel to guarantee long-term international recognition and security.

For these reasons, J Street urges that you vote against the BDS resolution under consideration.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Ben-Ami