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Reframing the BDS debate at UCLA

We, the pro-Israel and Jewish student leaders of UCLA are extremely proud of our Jewish and pro-Israel student community. We stand strongly in support of Israel and against the BDS movement that is trying to delegitimize the Jewish state.
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November 25, 2014

We, the pro-Israel and Jewish student leaders of UCLA are extremely proud of our Jewish and pro-Israel student community. We stand strongly in support of Israel and against the BDS movement that is trying to delegitimize the Jewish state.

Over the past few weeks a small group of students leveraged last year’s student government election results to ensure that their anti-Israel efforts would dominate the agenda. This came to fruition Nov. 18 when they passed a symbolic resolution recommending that the University of California divest from companies that do business with Israel.

We are, of course, disappointed that eight members of our undergraduate population of nearly 30,000 students chose to vote in favor of Tuesday night’s resolution. Their decision was irresponsible because they purport to speak for the entire undergraduate community.

The reality here at UCLA is that a majority of students reject this resolution and reject the use of our student government to further special-interest, non-student issues, such as attacking the Jewish homeland. Meanwhile, the primary student concern, the UC tuition crisis, rages on.

In a mere four days, we collected signatures from nearly 2,000 undergraduate allies here who are united against a student government council that prioritizes international politics over real student issues. 

We learned from our experience fighting BDS last year that a student government vote to divest from Israel is predetermined by campus group coalitions long before the night of the hearing. Talking points don’t matter in this context, only coalitions. This year’s dominant coalition happens to be pro-divestment, and student majorities, feedback, and talking points fall on deaf ears.

We refused to be a validating party to a  student government  forum that puts Israel on trial. We, the leaders of the Jewish and pro-Israel community at UCLA, vehemently voiced our strong objections. We also agreed as a community that we would not unnecessarily dignify, legitimize or extend a biased and flawed hearing. This was not giving up. It was attacking from a different means.

Yes, we lobbied council extensively in advance of the vote. And we ensured that all the arguments which would have been given at public comment were presented. We invested hundreds of hours in fighting, just as we did last year. But we also we offered a fresh, innovative approach. 

We staged an alternative meeting on the night of the vote, one designed to uplift rather than tear down. We held a memorial for the most recent Israeli victims of terror and engaged in a productive community discussion about how to positively address the situation in the Middle East without attacking another community. We are proud that our efforts reframed the conversation while simultaneously denying these bigoted anti-Israel activists any additional undue attention.

Hillel at UCLA is and has continuously been a bedrock of support for Jewish students in all aspects of life, especially in empowering students. They help us cultivate vibrant Jewish life on campus, and trust us as we choose how to respond to attacks on our community. Their approach guides us and respects us as young adults, and they are engaging thousands of Millennials on campus because they focus on student empowerment. 

As a result, Pro-Israel and Jewish life at UCLA is strong, vibrant, and student led. We continue to lead events for all students that highlight Israel as a vibrant democracy in the Middle East, while we also grapple with the complexities of the conflict. Our ask of you as a Community is this: Guide us, support us, trust us, and invest in us as we continue to pilot the Jewish future.

Signed:

Natalie Charney, Hillel at UCLA Student Board President

Eytan Davidovits, President, Bruins for Israel

Omer Hit, Vice President, Bruins for Israel

Gil Bar-Or, President, J Street U

Tammy Rubin, President Emeritus, Hillel at UCLA


Natalie Charney is student board president of Hillel at UCLA; Eytan Davidovits is president of Bruins for Israel; Omer Hit is vice president of Bruins for Israel; Gil Bar-Or is president of J Street U; and Tammy Rubin is president emeritus of Hillel at UCLA.

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