Cornell Student Assembly Overwhelmingly Rejects Anti-Israel Divestment Resolution Over Gaza
Rejected by 16 No, 4 Yes, in favor of a separate compromise resolution on divesting from military contractors that does not mention Israel or Gaza. This was a pretty resounding defeat for BDS on campus, a reflection not so much of views of the underlying conflict, but a campus fatigue with the constant attacks on the Cornell Jewish community.
We have covered multiple Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) resolutions brought by anti-Israel student groups at Cornell University, typically presenting themselves as a coalition of ‘students of color’ against white oppressor Israel, including 2014 and 2019. In each case, the resolution failed, though once it was by a single vote.
A typical tactic is to wait until the last possible minute to file the resolution, so that pro-Israel students don’t have time to organize. One even was brought over Passover 2014.
Tonight was a vote on another resolution brought at the last minute by a new group, the “Coalition for Mutual Liberation,” which has been pumping out anti-Israel vitriol at a furious pace since October 7. It appears the group is an amalgam of students already affiliated with other anti-Israel groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. SJP’s brand has become so toxic, it seems this was more a rebranding than anything else.
Tonight’s resolution was brought forward only in the last couple of days and added to the agenda of the Student Assembly for tonight. The Resolution (No. 51) spewed a bunch of crap about Israel’s supposed genocide, even overstating what the International Court of Justice found.
Coming against the backdrop of protests on campus justifying the October 7 attack, a DEI official calling the attack an act of “resistance,” a prominent anti-Israel professor’s statement to a crowd how he felt “exhilarated” when he heard of the attack, anti-Israel graffiti spray painted on campus, a Cornell student’s threat to shoot up the kosher dining hall and slit Jewish students’ throats (he’s now in federal custody), and another student posting that “Zionists Must Die,” it was like throwing a match on a campus tinderbox.
During the open debate, it became clear that most of the student assembly members didn’t want to light that match. According to what they said, they stayed up late into the night coming up with an alternative resolution (No. 50) about divesting from military contractors without mentioning Israel or Gaza, and throwing the issue of Cornell’s investment guidelines for military contractors to an ad hoc committee.
The arguments during the open debate were nothing we haven’t heard a million times. One very interesting highlight is that the proponents of the resolution insisted it was not a BDS resolution, it was an investment guidelines resolution. No one believed that, but it reflects that the BDS label was toxic, and the students knew it.
But the deal was done on the compromise resolution, which passed 16-2 (I think, need to double check that)[update – The Cornell Sun reports it was unanimous]. The debate opened on the anti-Israel resolution, which it became clear was doomed. The proponents tried to amend it to so water it down that it would not even have mentioned Israel or Gaza, but that amendment was rejected, so the full anti-Israel resolution went to a full assembly vote, and it was rejected 16 No, 4 Yes.
This was a pretty resounding defeat for BDS on campus, a reflection not so much of views of the underlying conflict, but a campus fatigue with the constant attacks on the Cornell Jewish community.
The biggest sigh of relief is being breathed by the Cornell administration, which doesn’t have yet another antisemitic public relations blow up to deal with.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
STUDENTS did this? That’s a switch!
It looks like just occasionally they manage to make good decisions
Israel is a white oppressor? Israel has Jews from Morocco, Yemen, Turkey, Ethiopia, Iraq, Egypt, etc. All of these people are as brown as the “Palestinians.” There are also Arab (some Muslim, some Christian) citizens, members of the Knesset, and soldiers, in addition to the Jewish POCs. Many of them are as native as the Palestinians, besides being as brown as them. Israel is hardly “white.”
How many non-Arab and non-Muslim Palestinians are there? But Israel is the apartheid nation. Riiiight.
There used to be a fairly sizable Christian population among the palis – minority but significant. Most of them have been driven out of Israel and the territories. Lots ended up in America. Same happened in Lebanon. In fact, most of the arab immigration to the US was initially just Christian arabs being chased out of their homes by muslim arabs. That’s why most almost American arabs were Christian … up until the 90s, when we started importing muslims like they were going out of style – supercharged after Barky Hussein slimed into office.
As to Palis and Christianity, now, I think the event with the Palis taking over the Church of the Nativity (which they desecrated and destroyed while they occupied it – peeing on the books, abusing clergy, sh*tting all over like they were living on the street in san francisco) pretty much says it all. Not only did nothing happen to those pali gunmen but, if memory serves me correctly, they ended up living out vacation lives around Europe and none of them paid any price for what they did. At least, that’s my recall of it.
I wind up agreeing with you ~90+% of the time and rarely have anything (worthwhile) to add or to argue. The only reason I’m even putting in a statement here: I’d appreciate more info re “Most (Christian population) of them have been driven out of Israel …”
I’m unable to find valid numbers or dates (those supplied some authority other than Yasser Arafat)
They were driven out of Arab Muslim countries. There used to be substantial Christian minorities in Arab countries but have pretty much been wiped out, expelled.
Yeah! TNX! This I’m well aware of.
My best man’s (we’re still on the phone twice a week fifty years later) parents (Maronites) had family and friends who fled Lebanon in the mid-80s.
I’d just like to have some verifiable information about the Christian population being driven out of Israel.
I already have a lot of the info about the Arab propaganda advising the Muslim population to leave.
I go on reports I’ve read and the changes in Bethlehem over the years as the most visible indication. Here is a description from the jewishvirtuallibrary:
It’s a very long article with lots of references at the end. But there are always problems with exact numbers when it comes to arabs, I think. The same is true of Lebanon and the actual numbers there, though most estimates claim that Lebanon went from being 60% arab Christian to about 40% today.
TNX.
Bethlehem isn’t Israel. It’s in the “territories”, and for the last few decades under PA rule.
You said Israel, and that’s what paracelsus was questioning. I don’t think Christians have been driven out of anywhere inside Israel.
Well put. There is also the Druze community.
Yes, my sons have dark olive complexions and they are actually often mistaken for Palestinians (instead of Jewish).
You need to learn from democrats.
Start filing resolutions that are 3,000 pages long, give them 2 days to read it and have condemnation of hamass and palasstinians buried somewhere between page 1,500 and page 2,999.
Fluff the beginning up with some kind of flowery statement to put them into a stupor.
Exactly. The substance isn’t the point. One must have no ideals. The point is to win in the most humiliating way possible. Attack, punish. They’re only used to dishing it out, and our side playing for the time. We must give them a new and surprising experience. And enjoy their anger.
LOL. What a “compromise”. They settled for Trotskyite instead of going full Mao.
It’s despicable. These students are slime.
I used to go to Cornell to visit a friend of mine back in the 80s. It was a pretty fun school. Lots of partying and the lunatics seemed fenced off a good bit (from what little I saw of campus life).
What really gets me is how stupid these Ivy Leaguers are, now. I mean, they are some really, really dumb people. They used to just be a bit obnoxious, but now they’re noxious and moronic. Most of them couldn’t argue their way out of a wet paper bag.
Still too much respect paid to these lefties. Rather than staying up late, they should have just voted no, gotten up and left. Why do they think they have to assuage these people? The more you give the left, the more aggressive it gets.
Who cares what they think either way? Who put them in charge of anything?
Ah, a compromise’.
One that demands divestment from ALL military contractors……..but will only ever be focused on Israel.
That’ll shut those damned Jews up.
They voted on COVER,
This was not a win..