Edinburgh Jewish students’ concern over Israel boycott vote before Pesach

Jews’ relationship with Israel was at the heart of an Edinburgh University dispute this week, when Jewish students complained about the timing of an Israel boycott motion, which is to be held the night before Pesach.

A move by the Edinburgh University Student Association to adopt the Boycotts Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel was, said Jewish students, “a valid conversation to have” but its timing was “deeply disturbing”.

READ MORE: OPINION: Boycott vote before Pesach will block Jewish students speaking

Emma Dubin, Edinburgh Jewish Society President, said: “I don’t know how all Jewish students feel about BDS, as there is no consensus on how they feel about the conflict, but I do know that they deserve to be included in the conversation.” 

The Thursday meeting is the last of the academic year, and student leaders told a team of Jewish students requesting a postponement that they did not want to wait until the autumn to hold the vote. A compromise solution of holding an extraordinary student council meeting in three or four weeks’ time was also rejected.