Tufts student senate adopts BDS resolutions against Israel

Three Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) resolutions were adopted by the Tufts Community Union (TCU) senate on Sunday night.

The Coalition for Palestinian Liberation at Tufts (CPLT) had introduced four resolutions, but a motion calling on the Tufts Global Education Office to end study abroad programs in Israel was rejected.

The TCU adopted resolutions calling for the administration to release information about Tuft’s investments and divest from all companies directly and indirectly tied to Israel. Another resolution called on the university dining accommodations to end the sale of Israeli brands such as Sabra, inexplicably listing Pillsbury among them. BDS has attacked Pillsbury for previously manufacturing in the West Bank but did not boycott the state.

The third resolution called on the administration to recognize a “Palestinian genocide,” apologize for Tuft President Sunil Kumar’s past statements on the issue, and hold a meeting between Kumar, the deans, and CPLT.

According to the student newspaper Tufts Daily, Tufts’ executive director of media relations Patrick Collins said that the administration was “disappointed” in the resolutions and that the school would continue to reject BDS.

Tuft Hillel Executive Director responds 

Tuft Hillel Executive Director Rabbi Naftali Brawer said in a pastoral letter on Monday that he was grateful to Kumar and the administration for rejecting the resolutions.

“These resolutions do nothing to bridge differences on campus, nor do they invite a critical exchange of ideas regarding the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian situation. Instead, they caricature and demonize Israel and only further marginalize so many in the Jewish community at Tufts,” said Brawer. “The most distressing aspect of these BDS resolutions is that they force a binary choice. Either one is in sympathy with the suffering Gazans and wholeheartedly rejects Israel’s right to exist, or one is supportive of Israel’s right to exist and wholeheartedly rejects the plight of innocent Gazans. I am here to tell you that this is a false and dangerous dichotomy.”

Brawer also said that he was disturbed by reports of “vitriolic antisemitism” expressed by students at the vote.

Taunts included “Israel controls the entire world,” “Go back to Israel, we don’t want you here!” and “You stink,” according to Brawer.

Jewish on Campus, which collects anonymous testimonies of antisemitism in universities, said it had been reported that one student was spat on.

The BDS resolutions saw support from a variety of Tufts organizations, including Indigenous Students’ Organization at Tufts, Tufts South Asian Student Association, Pan-Afrikan Alliance, Tufts African Student Organization, Tufts Black Student Union, United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants, Tufts Bengali Students Association, Tufts Persian Students Association, Tufts Muslim Students Association, Tufts Labor Coalition, and Alternative Jews at Tufts.