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I go to school in Canada very close to these universities. My university has a very large Muslim population that probably would be the voting majority in a case like this.
Here is what is happening:
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Another Ontario university student union has voted in support of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) campaign.
In a tense Annual General Meeting this week, several hundred Ryerson University students voted “overwhelmingly in favour” of supporting BDS.
The resolution’s organizers claim to be the 11th such student union in the province to sign on to the BDS drive. The vote will give student politicians the mandate to encourage the university administration to cut ties with all companies and investments that support what resolution supporters consider to be Israeli “apartheid.” Those companies are wide ranging, from Home Depot and Canadian Tire, to Sabra Hummus — a foodstuff owned by a parent company that supported the Israeli Defence Forces.
However, Ryerson’s administration said it does not support the resolution, so the student union vote will remain merely symbolic.
“The student union is a corporation independent of the university, we have to be clear there,” said Michael Forbes, a spokesperson for Ryerson. “The university does not support a boycott. We don’t support divestment, nor do we support sanctions against Israel. We’ve been consistent on this point.
York University’s student group joined the BDS movement last year. At the University of Windsor, the student union supported BDS in March in a school-wide referendum that counted little more than 1,000 votes, although a university investigation into alleged voting discrepancies could mean the vote will be thrown out.
After that vote, Windsor-area Conservative MP Jeff Watson called the BDS movement hateful and deceitful and denounced what he called “this new anti-Semitism poisoning our Canadian campuses.”
At Ryerson, Shannon Riley, president of Hillel, a Jewish student group on campus, attended Wednesday’s AGM and led a cadre of students who noisily opposed the motion, declaring it to be undemocratic.
“Basically, the room was weighted toward the motion passing. It was clear for anyone who could see it,” she said. “The environment, it was hostile. It was confrontational. I didn’t feel comfortable as a Jewish student on campus.”
Howard English, the Toronto-area president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said such resolutions shut down dialogue and stifle debate.
“What it calls for is a comprehensive catalogue of punitive measures against Israel — and Israel alone in the world — and these measures include boycotts of Israeli products, Israeli academics, Israeli professionals, Israeli artists, Israeli scientists. It calls for total and complete boycotts of everything Israeli, including investments by universities in Israeli companies,” he said.
The end goal is not one of promoting human rights, he said; these boycotts are ultimately opposed to Israeli’s existence as a state.
Ms. Riley said it’s neither uncommon, nor difficult for extreme factions to propose and pass these kinds of resolutions at the student union level. While she said she was concerned about the atmosphere on campus for Jewish students, the actual resolutions have little practical effect.
Melissa Palmero, the outgoing president of the Ryerson Students’ Union, said she hoped the union could work with the university to put the resolution into action.
“There was a pretty overwhelming majority of students that voted in favour of this campaign and I think that when we see students come together on issues, we usually see positive things.”
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Source: Ryerson student union becomes only the latest to support Israel Boycott campaign | National Post
Video of the vote at Ryerson where Jewish students were booed out of the room: http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/archive...04-170109.html
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TLDR Version: The student unions at several universities in Canada have voted in laws boycotting any and all corporations and products that are made in Israel or do business in Israel, angering many Jewish students on campus that believe that the notions are anti-semetic.
I do not really have an opinion on Israel and if I had an opinion on Israel, it would be pro-Palestine, but in my opinion, laws created at a public institution funded by tax-payer dollars should have absolutely no political affiliations at all and these notions are just jabs at Israel and Jewish students that go to predominately Muslim schools in Canada. If this is to come to surface at my school, I will be voicing my opinion loud and clear.
What are your opinions on this?
@Mnjaro @youngtune @martian master all go to school in Canada. What are your opinions on this?
I know @KidComet would want to chime in on this.
Please no jabs at religions please.
Here is what is happening:
"
Another Ontario university student union has voted in support of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) campaign.
In a tense Annual General Meeting this week, several hundred Ryerson University students voted “overwhelmingly in favour” of supporting BDS.
The resolution’s organizers claim to be the 11th such student union in the province to sign on to the BDS drive. The vote will give student politicians the mandate to encourage the university administration to cut ties with all companies and investments that support what resolution supporters consider to be Israeli “apartheid.” Those companies are wide ranging, from Home Depot and Canadian Tire, to Sabra Hummus — a foodstuff owned by a parent company that supported the Israeli Defence Forces.
However, Ryerson’s administration said it does not support the resolution, so the student union vote will remain merely symbolic.
“The student union is a corporation independent of the university, we have to be clear there,” said Michael Forbes, a spokesperson for Ryerson. “The university does not support a boycott. We don’t support divestment, nor do we support sanctions against Israel. We’ve been consistent on this point.
York University’s student group joined the BDS movement last year. At the University of Windsor, the student union supported BDS in March in a school-wide referendum that counted little more than 1,000 votes, although a university investigation into alleged voting discrepancies could mean the vote will be thrown out.
After that vote, Windsor-area Conservative MP Jeff Watson called the BDS movement hateful and deceitful and denounced what he called “this new anti-Semitism poisoning our Canadian campuses.”
At Ryerson, Shannon Riley, president of Hillel, a Jewish student group on campus, attended Wednesday’s AGM and led a cadre of students who noisily opposed the motion, declaring it to be undemocratic.
“Basically, the room was weighted toward the motion passing. It was clear for anyone who could see it,” she said. “The environment, it was hostile. It was confrontational. I didn’t feel comfortable as a Jewish student on campus.”
Howard English, the Toronto-area president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said such resolutions shut down dialogue and stifle debate.
“What it calls for is a comprehensive catalogue of punitive measures against Israel — and Israel alone in the world — and these measures include boycotts of Israeli products, Israeli academics, Israeli professionals, Israeli artists, Israeli scientists. It calls for total and complete boycotts of everything Israeli, including investments by universities in Israeli companies,” he said.
The end goal is not one of promoting human rights, he said; these boycotts are ultimately opposed to Israeli’s existence as a state.
Ms. Riley said it’s neither uncommon, nor difficult for extreme factions to propose and pass these kinds of resolutions at the student union level. While she said she was concerned about the atmosphere on campus for Jewish students, the actual resolutions have little practical effect.
Melissa Palmero, the outgoing president of the Ryerson Students’ Union, said she hoped the union could work with the university to put the resolution into action.
“There was a pretty overwhelming majority of students that voted in favour of this campaign and I think that when we see students come together on issues, we usually see positive things.”
”
Source: Ryerson student union becomes only the latest to support Israel Boycott campaign | National Post
Video of the vote at Ryerson where Jewish students were booed out of the room: http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/archive...04-170109.html
"
TLDR Version: The student unions at several universities in Canada have voted in laws boycotting any and all corporations and products that are made in Israel or do business in Israel, angering many Jewish students on campus that believe that the notions are anti-semetic.
I do not really have an opinion on Israel and if I had an opinion on Israel, it would be pro-Palestine, but in my opinion, laws created at a public institution funded by tax-payer dollars should have absolutely no political affiliations at all and these notions are just jabs at Israel and Jewish students that go to predominately Muslim schools in Canada. If this is to come to surface at my school, I will be voicing my opinion loud and clear.
What are your opinions on this?
@Mnjaro @youngtune @martian master all go to school in Canada. What are your opinions on this?
I know @KidComet would want to chime in on this.
Please no jabs at religions please.
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