FSU student senate rejects pro-BDS, anti-IHRA resolutions

The Florida State University(FSU) student senate has rejected 3 resolutions that supported the BDS movement and opposed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition on anti-Semitism.

The BDS resolution called on the university to divest from companies that do business with ‘Israel’ or in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian land, for “FSU trustees to review their investments and to divest from companies that violate international humanitarian law.”

It called out Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and the U.K.-based multinational security services company G4S as examples.

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure ‘Israel’ to comply with international law.

It calls for a boycott of Israeli and international companies that are complicit in violations of Palestinian rights. Virtually, all Israeli companies are complicit to some degree in Israel’s system of occupation and apartheid.

The second resolution called on the university to “find a more appropriate definition of anti-Semitism to ensure support and protection for Jewish students. However, this definition must not be one that will erode free speech rights for Palestinian, Jewish and Allied Students on campus who wish to legitimately support the Palestinians People’s movement for the right to Self-Determination, Freedom and Human Rights.”

The IHRA definition has been formally adopted by the governments of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the United States, the European Parliament and more than 30 other countries.

However, the IHRA definition includes problematic examples of antisemitism that have been criticised by human rights groups as well as some liberal Zionist organisations.

Some of the most controversial examples of antisemitism provided by the IHRA include banning anyone from “applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation”.

Another example presented in the IHRA definition: “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, eg, by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.”

The definition is simply designed to silence criticism of ‘Israel’ and of Zionism by equating this criticism with antisemitism.

The third resolution called on FSU “to take both short- and long-term action to ensure that Florida State University is a just, fair and welcoming place for all students, but more specifically, for Arab and Muslim students.”

The resolutions were authored by former student senate president Ahmad Daraldik, who came under fire for introducing the resolutions, claiming he’s anti-semite.

“I am so proud of Jewish and pro-Israel students at Florida State University for their tireless work. They did not rest until they made sure that their community was represented, supported and protected,” said Talia Lerner, StandWithUs Senior Southern Campus Coordinator.

“They told their stories bravely and did an outstanding job educating their peers about Israel, the Jewish people and anti-Semitism.”