Anger as Edinburgh University students vote for Israel boycott

Edinburgh University's Israel Engagement Society (IES) has described a motion to boycott Israel passed by the student union as "irresponsible" and "intolerant".

The motion to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) policy was passed by 249-153 votes with 22 abstentions, giving a majority of 74.

The IES described the result as "a vanishingly small mandate for such a controversial motion that will likely marginalise students of Israeli nationality through an academic, cultural and economic boycott".

The motion was passed at a general meeting of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) last Thursday.

According to a document provided by EUSA, the vote covered motions "to target products, companies and institutions that profit from or are implicated in, the violation of Palestinian rights", "[to] resist any action that gives political or economic support to violations of international law by the State of Israel and complicit companies" and "[to[ mandate sabbatical officers to work with the Black and Minority Ethnic liberation group, as well as Edinburgh University Students for Justice in Palestine to lobby and campaign for the university to also commit to BDS".

The motion also called for an academic boycott of Israel, which Theo Robertson-Bonds, IES vice-chair, described as "even more troubling".

Mr Robertson-Bonds said: “We are incredibly disappointed that our students’ association has decided to ignore the voices of sabbatical officers and the president of the Jewish Society in deciding make BDS policy at EUSA. Given divisions BDS can cause between communities on campus, and the fact that it was passed on a turnout of 1.19% of student electors, it clearly has no mandate, and over next few days we will be working with EUSA trustees, university management and other stakeholders to try and overturn this verdict to single out the world’s only Jewish state.”

IES president Daniel Almeida said: “Such an abstractly worded motion has worrying repercussions that could resonate throughout the Israeli community. I am disappointed most of all that this was not adequately addressed by the proposition.”

Speakers against the motion included Brianna Sommer, the president of the Jewish Society, EUSA Vice President Academic Affairs Imogen Wilson, and Jewish Edinburgh Labour Students and Feminist Society member, Georgie Harris.

Concerns were raised about the legality of the motion by both IES members and representatives of EUSA.

IES president elect Noa Cohen said: “I found the number of people voting outside without having their student cards checked deeply suspicious, and was upset to see that individuals were turning up, voting and leaving without listening to the arguments we had put forward."

Writing for the campus student newspaper after the vote, EUSA vice-president Imogen Wilson said: "The motion delegitimises Israel’s fundamental right to exist by calling it the 'declared State of Israel', an antiSemitic statement by nature. Whatever people believe the aims of BDS to be, that doesn’t change the evidence of it having a negative effect on campus, and the fact that the concerns of many Jewish and Israeli students are being continually ignored."

The policy will apply for three years, following which another vote must be conducted under EUSA’s new regulations.

Imogen Wilson, EUSA’s Vice President of Academic Affairs told the JC: "The BDS motion was passed by students following a robust but respectful debate, at our best-attended Student Council of this academic year. With over 400 votes cast on the motion, it’s clear that University of Edinburgh students care deeply about the issues raised, and we are committed to ensuring all sides of the argument are heard."