The folks at Stand With Us are applauding these students and with good reason. Congratulations to these students for taking a stand and doing the right thing.

StandWithUs Applauds Western Washington University Student Government’s Unanimous Vote to Reject All Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Based on National Origin

StandWithUs applauds the student government at Western Washington University (Associated Students WWU), which, on June 10, unanimously voted that it will not consider boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) based on national origin. The 7-0 vote represents the first time ever that a North American university’s student government took pro-active legislative steps to protect students from discriminatory BDS campaigns, such as the ones that have targeted Israel at a number of campuses in recent years.

According to the resolution, the ASWWU will not support BDS campaigns because, “tensions between students related to foreign conflicts should be managed in a healthy and collaborative manner rather than be exacerbated.” It also expressed concern that BDS campaigns, “can cause students to be targeted on the basis of nationality” and lead to “disrespectful bias, hostility, hate, or harassment.” See A Resolution Regarding International Divestment, Boycott, and Sanctions at http://goo.gl/tmm7qE.

WWU Student Alysa Kipersztok, a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow, brought the anti-BDS resolution to the ASWWU because “I’ve seen how divisive anti-Israel BDS campaigns have been on campuses across the country. Western is a warm, respectful, inclusive community. Our mission statement states that WWU ‘brings together individuals of diverse backgrounds and perspectives in an inclusive, student-centered university.’ BDS has been a source of disconnect and resentment among students, creating a hostile environment. It divides students, marginalizing those who support Israel. I want to thank our ASWWU for unconditionally supporting this process and for working closely with me to represent the desires of students to keep our campus safe.”