The BDS Movement (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) against Israel recently garnered another supporter. The University of California Student Association, representing all 10 of the UC campuses, approved a resolution to divest in a number of countries they charge with human rights violations. The resolution calls on UC to “withdraw investments in securities, endowments, mutual funds, and other monetary instruments” from a number of governments including Israel and the US. They believe these countries “have violated the universal right ‘to life, liberty, and security of person; to education; to privacy, family home; to own property, and … be arbitrarily deprived of property’” (Times of Israel). A second resolution was dedicated solely to human rights abuses in Palestinian territories.
The complaint against Israel claims human rights violations in what Palestinians call the “occupied territories” of Gaza and the West Bank. The complaint against the US includes drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen and US support to dictator-led countries. It also objects to the fact that the US has “the highest rate of imprisonment in the world,” claiming racial discrimination and citing the detention of 400,000 undocumented immigrants each year (The College Fix).
Glaringly omitted from the list of offenders were Arab governments famous for these human rights violations. Such countries deprive women of these same rights, deny education to girls, use civilians as human shields to protect their soldiers and weapons, and often provide funds to organizations identified throughout the world as terrorist organizations.
According to the Washington Times, after the Student Association vote on the UC Davis campus, a “large group of activists” chanted “Allahu Akbar” as pro-Israel students left the room. A member of the UC Davis student government, with a clearly Arabic name, “boasted” on her Facebook account that “Hamas and Sharia law have taken over UC Davis” (Washington Times). The day after the vote, a Jewish fraternity house was vandalized with spray-painted swastikas.
The Washington Times summarized a statement made by Noah Pollak, executive director of the Emergency Committee for Israel. They write that these events “highlight the danger posed to campuses by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement." Pollak told the Free Beacon that “BDS, anti-Semitism, swastikas, celebration of terror – these things are found together.” He warned that “the UC Davis administration should be deeply alarmed that a member of the student senate has openly endorsed Hamas." Hamas is "a US-designated terrorist organization whose charter calls for the murder of Jews worldwide,” he stated (Free Beacon).
Anti-Semitism is growing dangerously fast, and hostilities are becoming increasingly open. It is not merely occurring in Europe and places “far away.” It is ramping up and persuading North American culture through the loud voices of a hate-filled minority.
Pray for Israel and the Jewish People
Please pray against this evil. Pray that the hatred becomes clearly visible to those who remain complacent and that this open intolerance would be rejected by those who value tolerance in most every other arena.
Receive weekly updates on events influencing Israel by signing up on our Jewish Voice website.
Become a Prayer Partner and join in praying for the ministries of Jewish Voice around the world.
