College and University Monitor

Columbia University President Lee Bollinger condemned anti-Semitism and the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement in a March 6 presentation before the university senate plenary.

Expressing concern for “the risk of a rising anti-Semitism on our campus,” Bollinger said all forms of prejudice and bigotry are “intolerable,” but that anti-Semitism was at the forefront of his mind, especially with the upcoming campus-wide vote on a divestment resolution. The resolution calls on the university to divest “from companies that profit from or engage in the State of Israel’s acts towards Palestinians.”

Bollinger said, “The longstanding understanding [is] that the university should not change its investment policies on the basis of a political position unless there is a broad consensus within the institution that to do so is morally and ethically compelled. This is a necessary – though not sufficient – condition. I do not believe that consensus exists with respect to this proposal.”

He added the referendum “imposes a standard on this particular political issue that is not right when one considers similar issues in other countries and in other contexts around the world.”...