The students of today have a responsibility to our predecessors and our successors to do as much as we can today to prevent the problems of tomorrow. The ongoing struggle between Israel and Palestine has sparked many debates time and time again from activists divided between who is on the right side of the West Bank and who is in the wrong.
On 22nd of February 2016, another Studentsâ Society of McGill University (SSMU) General Assembly took place on the grounds of McGill, and this one in particular caused a drastic drift among the student body as the Motion Regarding Support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement was up for voting. The motion passed during the general assembly with 512 in favor, 357 against and 14 abstentions; however, it failed to be ratified during the online voting process on February 27th with 2819 students (57 percent) against and 2119 students (43 percent) for the motion. This was the third time this motion was put forward, being defeated 11 months ago with 276-212.
So hereâs the clear cut definition and aim of the BDS movement : âThe global movement for a campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights was initiated by Palestinian civil society in 2005, and is coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), established in 2007. BDS is a strategy that allows people of conscience to play an effective role in the Palestinian struggle for justice.â At McGill, this motion was specifically put forward by âthe McGill BDS Action Networkâ whose main aim was to push the goal of âdivestment from companies benefitting from the violations of Palestinian human rightsâ.
The general assembly had its own share of debates on the issue with speakers voicing their opinions for and against in an orderly manner; this continued on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter with students condemning and supporting the motion actively until online voting began.
McGill is home to thousands of students who come from very different and diverse backgrounds, but who come together as one entity under this great institution. However, in this particular situation there was a complete division between #voteYESBDS and #voteNOBDS. This is clearly represented in the numbers of vote for and against as they are almost the same amount, indicating that the student body is largely divided between those who strongly believe that this motion is the solution and there is an ongoing apartheid in Palestine which needs to be dealt with, and on the flip side of this discussion is the mass amount of students who feel that this motion being passed is an act of anti-Semitism â an act that has no place for at McGill.
To be as objective as possible, I would like to put forward both sides of the story and let you take your own stance as an individual.
Why #voteYES; the McGill BDS Action Network represents all of the students at McGill who feel that Israel has taken away basic rights of the Palestinians, and in an effort to stop these unfair actions, they believe that McGill as an academic institution should join the BDS movement against Israel and cut all ties with companies and institutions that fund this act. They believe that Israelâs occupation of Palestine can be slowly put to an end through this movement by cutting academic and economic ties with Israel. They believe in freeing the oppressed and for them this is them doing their part.
Why #voteNO; on the flip side of the coin, there is a group of students who represent those who feel that the passing of the BDS motion is against Jews and anyone that identifies with Israel. They feel that this singles them out and serves as an act of anti-Semitism, just like the many acts against Jews that have been seen throughout history. BDS for them acts as an unjust punishment by blocking the world from Israel and singling it out. Overall in their eyes, it is a form of discrimination towards Israel and Jewish people
In conclusion, I would like to mention that through this whole ordeal, many students have shared their experiences of being victims of acts of racism and feeling unsafe on campus. McGill is a space of free expression, and I personally feel each stance deserves its right to be expressed. We shouldnât shut others down because they believe in something we donât. We need to work together on this issue as the decision makers of today.
I encourage you to form your own opinion on this stance, unclouded by preconceived biases and ideologies, believe in what feels right to you.
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Images and Information obtained from:
http://progressiveisrael.org/category/bds/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2016/02/27/mcgill-universitys-student-body-re…
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