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Divisiveness on Campus
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Divisiveness on Campus
MSU Student Government passes bill to condemn Israel’s role in confl ict.
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
Abill by Michigan State University’s student government, Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU), has been brought forward to “condemn human rights violations inflicted upon citizens of Palestine.”
The bill, introduced May 20 to ASMSU’s General Assembly legislative body, passed with a majority vote (17 for the bill, nine abstentions and four against).
A Jewish MSU student who took issue with the bill after obtaining access to it, believing it to be one-sided and biased against Israel and Jewish people, shared its contents with the JN. (That student, fearing antisemitism, chose anonymity.)
The bill has been signed, but it hasn’t been posted on ASMSU’s website or on any of its social media platforms as of May 27. No ASMSU statement has been made on the bill yet, although an ASMSU representative said one is in the works.
“It doesn’t bring both views or many views into the bill,” the anonymous student said. “There was minimal to no solid structure, no facts without bias, and many untrue claims were made.”
The student also had a problem with the cited sources used for the bill, believing it to be biased with mostly proPalestinian sources.
“This bill is condemning Israel and I will no longer stay silent — considering the recent spike in antisemitism across the globe,” the Jewish student said.
TEXT OF THE BILL
The bill begins by stating there are currently “human rights violations being committed against the people of Palestine by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).”
“There has been an eviction of many innocent families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood alongside the suppression of peaceful protests against these evictions, which have been followed by new restrictions placed by Israeli Defense Forces during the holy month of Ramadan.
“These abuses have occurred since 1948 and have escalated to violence against Palestinians in a religious context with the May 8th attacks on the Al-Aqsa mosque in which the Israeli military entered Al-Aqsa Mosque and employed the use of tear gas and rubber bullets on practicing Muslims in one of Islam’s holiest sites, injuring more than 205 people,” the bill continues.
The bill goes into more detail on the recent conflict, stating that the Israeli Air Force on May 14 “destroyed neighborhoods, schools and a tower in Gaza housing offices for media organizations like the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, which would be widely considered an attack on press freedom.”
The bill stated that those actions, which it says stemmed from “religious and racial discrimination,” continue to “violate human rights and restrict Muslims and other religious minorities from being present in the holy month of Ramadan.”
“These same abuses are ongoing and have now taken place on the most important religious holiday for Muslims — Eid — a time of celebrations to commemorate Ramadan for Muslims that have fasted the holy month.”
The bill states that the ongoing violence in the Middle East continues to, directly and indirectly, impact the lives of MSU students and families.
The bill then concludes with its main point and what else it hopes to achieve.
“The Associated Students of Michigan State University shall officially condemn the human rights violations being inflicted upon the Palestinian people,” the bill states. “ASMSU shall call upon the administration of Michigan State University to release a statement to publicly condemn the human rights violations being inflicted upon the Palestinian people; and, ASMSU shall urge
— JORDAN ROBINSON
the Office of Cultural and Academic Transition (OCAT) to host quarterly events addressing human rights abuses in the respective timeframe and truly stand with the voices of the oppressed.”
JEWISH STUDENT RESPONSE
respect every student’s right to stand up for their community and stand up for their beliefs and values. We just would’ve wished this could’ve been more of a collaborative effort to create more unity within ASMSU, rather than something much more complex.” With an increased level The student who reached of Palestinian action in out to the JN and provided student government on the text of the bill said that, campus, Robinson keeps as a Jew, they believe it’s an open mind on ways fortheir responsibility to say ward. something when things like “Jewish Student Union this come to fruition. welcomes every group on
“One of my favorite campus to express their quotes by a rabbi that I thoughts and opinions in think applies to this sit- any capacity they choose, uation is, ‘I don’t speak just as long as it’s a safe because I have the power way that they’re doing it,” to speak. I speak because Robinson said. “It’s great I don’t have the power to they’re speaking out against remain silent.’” issues, but we want to
Jordan Robinson, execu- ensure we’re advocating for tive vice president of uni- peace and ensuring we’re versity relations for MSU’s being a support system Jewish Student for all of our students on Union, said campus. We welcome any JSU is currently dialogue they want to have trying to work with the Jewish Student through the Union, and we welcome contents of the collaboration amongst all Jordan bill, explor- groups.” Robinson ing different Robinson, who also options and oversees the JSU represenoutcomes it could have. tative to ASMSU, says JSU
Robinson says he had no is currently in active talks say in the bill but was in with the ASMSU president negotiations with the writ- to explore options with the ers to try and see if a more bill and to “ensure all the collaborative bill could be Jewish student’s voices are done. being heard and that we are
“Unfortunately, we were protecting the safety and not able to settle on a deci- security of the Jewish stusion,” Robinson said. “We dents on campus.” Experience the best in private aviation. Contact Jet Linx Detroit today for your Jet Card membership consultation.
