The BDS Vote 2015

In support of BDS

By: Salah Khalaf

BDS is aimed at all organizations complicit in breaking international law.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

There are many myths being spread about the Palestinian peoples cause and their non-violent course of action, Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions.

There are indeed many myths, but not one is as big as the myth that Palestinian children, like the ones portrayed in the infamous picture of children throwing rocks at IDF tanks, believe in: the myth that a small rock could break the tank that destroyed, bombed, occupied, and invaded their land.

The tank for them resembles the monster that we were afraid would jump from under our bed or from our closets when we were young. The monster under the bed was mythical. Their monster is as real as it gets.

To believe that their small rocks could stop a tank worth millions of dollars that might have come from our tuition money is crazy. These children are not crazy. They know that no matter what, their rocks will never win.

They are betting on us, their friends thousands of miles away. They count on us to stop paying for the maintenance of the tank, for the factory that now occupies their villages, for the illegal settlements that consume three times more water per capita than any Palestinian, for the five-decade old occupation, for the siege on Gaza, for the bombs that destroyed their schools, for the roads that no Palestinian is allowed to take, and the list goes on.

I am pro-BDS not simply because I am Palestinian; I am pro-BDS because it could have easily been you or me in the place of these children. It could have been McMaster instead of Birzeit University that was shut down during the intifada.

It could have been us attending school in the streets while being showered with tear gas shot by the occupation forces. It could have been one of us in jail for protesting the occupation instead of Lina Khattab.

BDS is aimed at all organizations complicit in breaking international law, without any discrimination. It is similar to the Anti-Apartheid Movement that started in the late 1950s to combat apartheid in South Africa.

BDS is also aimed at ending apartheid by Israel in occupied Palestine. BDS does not target individuals, but companies like G4S that operates the security systems in the illegal settlements.

McDonalds and Starbucks refuse to operate in the settlements, an exemplary example of an ethical policy.

There are Israelis calling for BDS, and there are many allies of BDS including but not limited to Gideon Levy (Israeli Journalist), Stephen Hawking (world renowned physicist), and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Nobel Peace prize laureate).

Some groups have already taken action. The European Union called to end trade with Israeli settlements, and the University of California and Stanford University student governments, and many more individuals and organizations, have voted in favour BDS.

On March 23 at 3:30 p.m., McMaster students will vote on whether to join the BDS call, just like we did against South African Apartheid in the 1980s.

***

Against BDS

By: Mindy Chapman and Sean Haber

Saying yes to peace and no to BDS is the first step in the right direction.

One year ago, a discriminatory Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions motion was brought forward to the MSU General Assembly targeting Israel, solely and exclusively. A non-binding vote was passed after the meeting had ended. The BDS activists declared victory.

But at what cost? Jewish students received anti-Semitic messages online and were threatened in person. There was no discussion about any of the relevant issues because the climate on campus had become so toxic that students were scared to express their opinions.

Fast-forward one year and nothing has changed. If anything, it has gotten worse. Just last week, anti-Israel activists used intimidation and bullying as tactics to prevent a Palestinian-Israeli guest of ours from speaking on campus about peace and coexistence—values that these students clearly reject. In the same week, anti-Israel disturbers protested the mere presence of Israeli students on our campus because some had served in the Israeli Army (in Israel, as in many liberal democracies such as Switzerland and Denmark, military service is compulsory).

The BDS activists at McMaster will tell you that they support peace, justice, and human rights. While these students may truly believe what they say, the sad reality is that, at McMaster as elsewhere, BDS supporters are silencing speakers they do not agree with in an affront to free speech. They are, moreover, attempting to blacklist Israelis because of their nationality. This is discrimination.

It is no surprise, then, that all major Canadian political party leaders have rejected the anti-Israel BDS movement because it is discriminatory and unproductive. Just this past week, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau asserted that the BDS movement is inconsistent with “Canadian values of respect and openness, of engaging with each other.” Likewise, every university administration in North America, including our own, has unequivocally and unanimously rejected BDS. This past December, McMaster University announced a plan to increase partnerships with top Israeli universities. In other words, the BDS movement is failing and will continue to do so.

McMaster students should not accept the false choice they are currently being presented by the supporters of the BDS movement. The humanitarian and productive alternative to supporting BDS is to be pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, and pro-peace, to support a just resolution to this conflict, and to encourage positive and peaceful initiatives that celebrate the dignity of all people, regardless of religion, race, or national origin.

Saying yes to peace and no to BDS is the first step in the right direction for the McMaster community. By rejecting BDS, we can move forward with integrity as a community and make McMaster a model for civil discourse; a campus where all students—regardless of their political belief and national origin—are free to learn, debate, discuss, and grow. Unfortunately, at McMaster and elsewhere, it has become incredibly clear that BDS not only silences opposition, but also shuts down debate.

Regardless of what happens at the GA, we are very proud that Israel on Campus has stood by our motto of “pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, and pro-Peace.” We are appreciative of the tremendous support we have received all year from the growing number of students who have joined us in saying yes to peace. Together, we can create a conversation on a campus free of discrimination.

Shalom, salaam, and peace.

***

How Do I Vote?

Attend the General Assembly in Burridge Gym (DBAC) on Monday, March 23, at 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to voice your opinion and cast your vote. The GA is open to all unergraduate students at McMaster (don’t forget your student ID). The Silhouette will be livestreaming the event at thesil.ca

BDS Cheat Sheet

What is BDS?

BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.

The BDS movement describes itself as a non-violent movement aimed at pressuring governments to comply with international law through the three aformentioned methods.

A binding vote in favour of BDS would mean that the McMaster Students Union would divest from any companies that support or profit from policies which the movement opposes.

BDS 2014 Recap

This year is the second time the BDS vote is taking place at the General Assembly. In 2014, there was a non-binding vote in favour of the BDS motion.

More than two hours were spent discussing the order of the agenda items. The Speaker had originally approved a motion asking the MSU to refrain from taking political stances “on international crises” before the BDS motion, which caused great controversy.

The vote took place at 6:30 p.m., but a large group of students left—some said they felt uncomfortable and refused to vote—and quorum was ultimately not met.

A non-binding vote meant that the Student Representative Assembly would consider the motions.