Campus Watch February 29, 2024

UCLA Student Gov’t Passes BDS Resolution

The UCLA undergraduate student government passed a resolution endorsing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement on Feb. 20.

The Daily Bruin reported that the resolution passed the Undergraduates Students Association Council (USAC) by a of 10-3 vote in a secret ballot following a debate that lasted nearly three hours. The resolution accuses Israel of engaging in “a genocidal bombing campaign and ground invasion against Palestinians in Gaza” as well as subjecting “the occupied Palestinian population to military rule.” Additionally, the resolution mandates that the USAC “maintain an updated list of boycotted vendors and corporations, including vendors and corporations targeted by the Palestinian BDS National Committee, that shall be regularly provided to all student groups/departments and any student within the reimbursement request form and upon request.” The USAC’s passage of the resolution comes after the UCLA Graduate Student Association passed a BDS resolution on Feb. 15, according to the Bruin.

The university addressed the passage of both resolutions in a statement on Feb. 21. “These resolutions run counter to the position of the University of California and UCLA, which, like all nine other UC campuses, has consistently opposed calls for a boycott against and divestment from Israel,” the university said. “This has been the longstanding position of all 10 UC campus chancellors and the UC Office of the President. We stand firm in our conviction that a boycott of this sort poses a direct and serious threat to the academic freedom of our students and faculty and to the unfettered exchange of ideas and perspectives on our campuses.”

Pomona College Referendum Calling to Divest from Israel Passes

The Pomona College student body voted in favor of a referendum calling on the college to divest from Israel.

According to The Claremont Independent, 78.29% of student voters said they supported ceasing “all academic ties” to Israel and 81.67% called on the college to divest from “all companies aiding the ongoing apartheid system within the State of Israel.” Students voted on the referendum between Feb. 19-21, The Forum reported.

Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr expressed her opposition to the referendum in a Feb. 16 email that stated in part: “This singling out of Israel raises grave concerns about the referendum’s impact on members of our community. For this reason, and even though I know our students do not intend this, the referendum raises the specter of antisemitism.”

San Jose State Professor on Leave After Altercation with Pro-Palestinian Protester

A San Jose State University (SJSU) professor has been placed on leave after an altercation with a pro-Palestinian protester occurred on Feb. 19.

The San Francisco Chronicle identified the professor as being History Professor Jonathan Roth; Roth reportedly had been filming pro-Palestinian protesters who were disrupting an event featuring CSU Long Beach Jewish History Professor Jeffrey Blutinger. SJSU Justice Studies Professor Sang Hea Kill told the Chronicle that a protester put her hand over Roth’s phone to stop him from filming the protesters “and he violently took her hand, twisted it down with her arm to the ground.” She acknowledged to the Chronicle her relationship with Roth is “antagonistic.” SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson told the Chronicle that an altercation occurred but there were no serious injuries and police charges have not yet been filed. The university is investigating the matter.

Harvard Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine Group Apologizes for Sharing Antisemitic Image

Havard’s Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) issued an apology on Feb. 19 for sharing an antisemitic image on their social media.

The image in question was “a 1960s-era cartoon of a hand emblazoned with a Star of David and a dollar sign holding Muhammad Ali and Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser in a noose,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported. The university called the post “despicable” and condemned “the post in the strongest possible terms.” Harvard History Professor Walter Johnson resigned from Harvard’s FSJP chapter over the post. The group said in a statement posted to Instagram, “It has come to our attention that a post featuring antiquated cartoons which used offensive antisemitic tropes was linked to our account. We apologize for the hurt that these images have caused and do not condone them in any way. Harvard FSJP stands against all forms of hate and bigotry, including antisemitism.”

Harvard Interim President Alan Garber wrote in a communitywide email on Feb. 20, per The Harvard Crimson: “While the groups associated with the posting or sharing of the cartoon have since sought to distance themselves from it in various ways, the damage remains, and our condemnation stands.”

Harvard Antisemitism Task Force Co-Chair Resigns

The co-chair of Harvard University’s Antisemitism Task Force, Business School Professor Raffaella Sadun, has resigned from the task force.

Interim President Alan Garber told The Harvard Crimson that Sadun had “expressed her desire to refocus her efforts on her research, teaching and administrative responsibilities.” However, the Crimson reported that a source close to Sadun told the newspaper that she resigned “because she felt the University would not commit to acting on its suggestions.”