Israel boycotts blocked at two universities

Jewish students seeking to defend Israel against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign had reason to cheer this week, after BDS motions were defeated in two universities.

In the capital, a BDS bid was pulled at City University Student Union, after the Board of Trustees rejected it. A motion had initially passed in November, but Trustees over-rode it last month, arguing that it ran counter to the Student Union’s constitution. The proposer’s subsequent amendments – only made public on Sunday – were again rejected, and the motion was withdrawn with no debate.

“I’m proud that Jewish students and our allies came together to vote against the motion, ensuring by their sheer number that the vote did not go ahead,” said Michali Belovski, president of City’s Jewish Society.

“We also very much appreciate certain other [non-Jewish] students at City who have showed their support in various ways, including taking time out of their busy schedules to vote and spend time understanding our perspective.

“We are delighted that City students are not interested in this divisive campaign. The message is clear: all students are welcome at City.”

Separately, a BDS motion tabled at Ulster University Students Union last Thursday was defeated, with new policies on anti-Semitism and Holocaust memorial passing instead.