The student framework of Australia’s top-ranked university on Monday approved a movement calling for a full educational boycott of all Israeli institutions. A similar move happened in April before being repealed amid network reactions and the risk of lawsuits.
The new motion, approved Monday by the University of Melbourne Students’ Union (UMSU), included a strong preamble accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing of more than 350 Palestinian towns and cities” and “forcibly displacing more than 750,000 Palestinians from their homes. “”. “
Much of the language of Monday’s movement is the same as that of the April movement. It was not without delay that transparency led UMSU to resubmit the application.
The movement followed thirteen votes to 3, with one abstention.
The preamble says that Israel is an “apartheid colonial state” that operates an “open-air prison” in the Gaza Strip. The document suggests that Israel intends to carry out a forced eviction of Gazans followed by the “massacre” of those left in Gaza. the coastal enclave.
The April movement provoked a massive backlash against the student body. At the time, a spokesman for the University of Melbourne distanced himself from his student body and said the move is “not the position of the University of Melbourne”.
Shortly after his death, Justin Riazaty, a non-Jewish member of the matrix, filed a lawsuit alleging that the movement violated Australian law. Amid growing legal tension and accusations of anti-Semitism, the union revoked the move in May.
– AIJAC (@AIJAC_Update) August 15, 2022
He also mentions “death threats and a planned stabbing” that she says were encouraged through anti-Semitic rhetoric on campus.
“We reject the lies in this motion. We reject the denial of the Jewish connection to Israel, and we help Jewish scholars who face constant anti-Semitism and relentless hatred on campus because of who they are and their family, ethnic, cultural, and devout ties. to Israel,” he concludes.
Speaking to The Times of Israel, Jewish student leader Josh Feldman said: “The student union has sent a transparent message that Jewish scholars are welcome on campus, and this message is sure to have tangible consequences.
Feldman suggested to his fellow Jewish academics that they “shout from the rooftops” because of the lack of comment from the general public. “In no case will we tolerate attacks on the Jewish network in Australian universities. “
After the risk of legal action against the students, the president of the student union, Sophie Nguyen, called the reaction “disgusting” in a series of tweets on Monday.
“In my opinion, we have done everything and stayed true to the aims and objectives of our student union. It is shameful that judicial threats are used to undermine democratic processes and undermine students,” he said.
In response to persistent accusations of anti-Semitism, Nguyen said: “I strongly oppose anti-Semitism. This kind of habit is not allowed and never deserves to be tolerated on campus, or anywhere else. In the same way, I refuse to confuse anti-Semitism with [the] Palestinian struggle for self-determination and freedom.
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