College and University Monitor

The student government at Columbia University rejected a referendum calling on the school to support the movement to boycott Israel.

After a four-hour intense meeting consisting of more than 150 onlookers, the Columbia College Student Council failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to pass the BDS proposal, similar to one in 2017 that also proved unsuccessful.

“Students worked very hard to defeat this BDS campaign and should be commended for their work. Columbia/Barnard Hillel will continue to invest in connecting students to Israel, including the more than 200 who travel to Israel with Hillel annually. This continued investment has never been more important,” its executive director, Brian Cohen, told JNS.

“While I am relieved that the vote will be the end of BDS on campus for now, damage has been done: These votes polarize campus and contribute to a difficult environment for Jewish students,” he said. “I am proud of our students, who spoke so eloquently and passionately about Israel, the danger BDS poses both to Israelis and Palestinians, and the negative ways it impacts the campus community.”

Ofir Dayan the president of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) Columbia, which was involved in the lobbying against the BDS resolution, called it a “historic moment” for the school....