{"article":{"id":266754,"heading":"Against our highest principles","author":"Joshua Adam Saidoff","created":"2014-12-01 04:40:32","modified":"2014-12-11 02:40:18","last_modified":"Thu, 11 Dec 2014 09:40:18","article":"

“Bringing down Israel really will benefit everyone in the world, and everyone in society,” Lara Kiswani from the Arab Resource and Organizing Center stated on November 12. Of those who did not share her belief, she later went on to add, “As long as you continue to be on that side, I’m going to continue to hate you.”

Hate. What a painful, divisive, and undoubtedly ugly word. And there it was, used casually when Kiswani appeared on at a panel sponsored by the “BDS Caucus of UAW 2865” at UC Berkeley. This program was organized to support a disturbing resolution to boycott Israel that is up for a vote by University of California graduate students through their California Student Worker Union, UAW 2865, on December 4th.,

Her comments were jarring not only for their troubling nature, but also for their dangerous implications. Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS), proponents like Kiswani purport to seek peace in the Middle East, yet openly promote the destruction of Israel and encourage spreading a doctrine of hatred on campuses towards those who do not share their beliefs. This blacklist mentality does nothing to encourage peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. In fact, it only serves to push it further away by alienating both parties against each other. These biased perspectives create climates of unrest on campuses that only foster – and here’s that word again – hate.

Unfortunately, that is precisely what is being asked of UAW 2865. On December 4, thousands of members will be urged to vote to join the BDS movement against Israel. They will be asked to take a vow that prohibits student teachers from taking part in any form of academic exchange with Israel. They have already asked TAs to teach the merits of BDS in the classrooms, potentially encouraging to officially penalize students who may disagree, going directly against UC policy which states, “no instructor distort the instructional process in a manner which deviates from the responsibilities inherent in academic freedom.” And perhaps worse, they will not offer any opposing views, which Informed Grads, a group working to counter this effort, sought to provide.

Boycotting any exchange with Israeli academics or institutions purely on nationality is a clear violation of academic freedom. It prevents countless opportunities for learning, and halts the free exchange of ideas, which can contribute to important dialogues on peace.

Voting to support this measure won’t bring peace, only more hate. We must reject these one-sided efforts that undermine university policy and create a hostile environment for tens of thousands of UC students across the state. Our union should focus on official business such as securing fair wages and protections for workers, not involving themselves in an international conflict. Endorsing BDS will hurt our union, stifle academic freedom, and break down efforts to encourage peace through positive engagement. <\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/www.jewishjournal.com\/opinion\/article\/against_our_highest_principles","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"Students and labor in solidarity against #BDS","numcomment":5,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2014\/12\/266754.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":266755,"heading":"Teamster Oppose BDS and UAW 2865 resolution","article":"An Open letter to [Michelle] Glowa and Members of the Executive Board, from the california Teamsters\r\n\r\nIt has come to our attention that the Executive Board of UAW Local 2865 has endorsed the \u201cGlobal Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction Movement\u201d against companies that do business in Israel. In addition, we understand you have also endorsed the so-called \u201cAcademic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.\u201d We further understand that you are putting the matter to a vote of your bargaining unit members on December 6 [sic], 2014.\r\n\r\nTeamsters Joint Council 7 and 42 is comprised of our members in California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific. This includes Local 2010 that represents 14,000 employees throughout the University of California system.\r\n\r\nAs you are no doubt aware, the companies that are targeted by the BDS movement include numerous employers that are represented by organized labor, including many thousands who are represented by the Teamsters. Indeed, some of the companies you wish your union to boycott and divest from are represented by the United Auto Workers. In the case of the Teamsters, we represent tens of thousands of employees at the following companies that are listed as targets of the BDS campaign:\r\nBoeing\r\nCemex\r\nGeneral Dynamics\r\nGeneral Electric\r\nITT\r\nLockheed-Martin\r\nNorthrup-Grumman\r\nWhatever your motives, we cannot conceive of an action more hostile to the interests of our members and more antithetical to the most basic principles of the union movement than for a union to call for actions which are intended to do harm to the economic security of other union members. We would find it difficult to ask our members to support your union in a labor dispute with the University of California so long as you are engaged in activities that are fundamentally hostile to their interests.\r\n\r\nGiving you the benefit of the doubt, we can only assume that you took your actions without consideration of the potential harm to hard working union members across California and the United States. We ask you to look at that issue now. Unlike the members of your union, who are graduate students and therefore union members for a short period of time, our members are working in jobs that must support them for a lifetime and it is our job to protect them for all of their working lives.\r\nWe would strongly request that you reconsider your actions. ","author":"California teamsters","parent_id":266754,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2014-12-01 04:43:53","modified":"2014-12-03 09:10:11","fileurl":""},{"id":266771,"heading":"promote the genocide?","article":"If the state of \r\nIsrael would act like something other than a vicious Nazi proxy, the BDS movement would have little foundation.\r\nDeal with it or STFU.","author":"humph!","parent_id":266754,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2014-12-02 15:58:45","modified":"2014-12-02 15:58:45","fileurl":""},{"id":266775,"heading":"1 billion Muslims","article":"There are a billion and a quarter Muslims in the world. Only 14 million Jews. That is all the foundation we need","author":"Afsneh","parent_id":266754,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2014-12-03 09:12:00","modified":"2014-12-03 09:12:00","fileurl":""},{"id":266781,"heading":"heh","article":"Well, for one thing, I'm not sure the entire world's population of Jews actually want your Zionist Nazi pogrom against the Palestinians, to represent their interests, reputations and humanity..\r\nAnd your psychotic paranoia about being outnumbered is a direct product of \r\nIsraeli aggression towards these very same people.\r\nalso\r\nImplied in your response is the idea of 'dealing' with these people in the same fashion your kind has become used to. Don't ever bitch about the enemies you have created to support your foundation of cultural Paranoia.\r\n\r\nChoices have consequences.","author":"humph!","parent_id":266754,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2014-12-03 19:59:06","modified":"2014-12-03 19:59:06","fileurl":""},{"id":266827,"heading":"Stasi for Palestine!","article":"Whenever someone says the name Arafat, my mouth automatically opens wide, the drool flows, and I rub myself with my poodle.","author":"Sheep shitferbrains idVer:35ddea5bd82c97f3236","parent_id":266754,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2014-12-11 02:40:18","modified":"2014-12-11 21:56:29","fileurl":""}]}