Student demands to divest from Israel go too far

Send this clipping to somebody

Transcribed from the clipping

The pro-Palestinian BDS movement makes no distinction between opposition to Israel's policies and opposition to Israel's very existence. By ERIC P.

SCHWARTZ ometime in March (and as soon as March 1), students at the University pus group Students for Justice in Palestine, urging the university to divest financially from corporations which, the sponsors assert, "directly profit from human rights violations" perpetrated by the Israeli government against Palestinians.

As described by its sponsors, the divestment resolution is part of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a global effort to bring pressure on the government of Israel. So how should students at the university, and others with deep interests in this issue, consider this matter?

To be sure, it is hard to argue that Israel and addresses their legitimate and long-held grievances.

This position, which reflects the is not responsible for serious violations of the rights of Palestinians, especially in the perspectives of the vast majority of Americontext of an occupation that has resulted cans and of governments around the world, in loss of land, restrictions on freedom of also offers the best prospects for the rights and well-being of all the region's inhabitants. movement and denial of political rights.

And Thus, Americans should be prepared to suppublic pressure is a time-tested means of encouraging governments around the world port a wide variety of diplomatic and other measures designed to achieve this objective. to modify policies, especially for those governments that take seriously their human My deep concern is that this goal is put rights obligations. at risk by the BDS movement of which the My own experiences reflect my belief in university students' divestment effort is a the value of such advocacy.

As a student at part.

This is because the BDS movement makes no distinction between opposition New York University School of Law some 35 to the policies of the government of Israel years ago, I initiated a high-profile letter of — in the occupied territories and elsewhere protest from more than 100 Jewish law students at NYU, Harvard and Yale law schools, - and opposition to Israel's very existence.

Statements of BDS leaders and materials the objecting to Israel's large-scale invasion of movement has generated clearly challenge Lebanon in 1982, as well as settlement activity in the occupied territories.

And while that the legitimacy of the concept of Israel as a democratic and Jewish state that can live in effort was not enthusiastically received by the government of Israel, I believed then, as peace with its neighbors and with a Palestinian state.

I do now, that public pressure is critically important in moving governments on basic I certainly understand that perspective, rights issues. and always welcome the chance to discuss More recently, in my former role as assisand debate proponents of this position.

Yet I tant secretary of state for population, refurespectfully but strongly reject it, and firmly believe that continued efforts to realize the gees and migration, I witnessed the deprivations suffered by Palestinian populations de-legitimation of Israel will inevitably in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as those poison the environment for negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, lead to involving African migrants in Israel.

And, although in that role most of my human more violence and seriously harm the interrights advocacy was through private diploests of both groups. That would be an awful outcome, which macy, I deeply valued the work and public advocacy of groups like Human Rights this unfortunate resolution would promote. Watch and Amnesty International.

I hope it is rejected by the students at the university, even as I look forward to supSo if public pressure is an appropriate tool of persuasion, why am I so strongly opposed porting common efforts of all members of to this effort to encourage university officials our community to support progress toward to divest from companies that do business a Middle East peace. with Israel?

And why do I hope so fervently that the students at the university will reject Eric P. Schwartz is dean and professor in the Humphrey this measure?

School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and serves on the board of directors of the Jewish ComMy opposition stems from my strong munity Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas belief in the right of the Jewish people to live securely in a Jewish and democratic state, and HIAS, the Jewish Community's refugee assistance organization.

He is also a member of the Advisory Coun as part of a two-state solution that recogcil of J Street. The views expressed here are his own. nizes the rights of the Palestinian people

Cite this item

"Student demands to divest from Israel go too far," Star Tribune, 29 February 2016. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2016-011. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2016-011