Hillel is criticizing the University of Pennsylvania for allowing a boycott, divestment and sanctions conference to be held on its campus.
In a statement Hillel’s president, Wayne Firestone, says that BDS campaigns “have no place on campus because they are blatantly anti-Israel and amount to acts of political and economic warfare.”
The statement concludes:
We join Hillel of Greater Philadelphia… in objecting to the University of Pennsylvania allowing the BDS movement to hold its upcoming annual conference on campus.
The University of Pennsylvania, meanwhile, stated last month that it is not sponsoring the conference and does not support divestment or boycotts (a point that was applauded in the Hillel statement.) “The event is being sponsored by a registered student group, as is permitted of any student group on campus,” the university said in its statement.
The university’s statement concludes:
Penn has always supported free expression and the free exchange of ideas. These are essential elements of a great university. These principles apply to this event, as they would any other student event, whether or not we agree with or condone the message BDS seeks to communicate.
For its part, the student group sponsoring the conference, Penn BDS, says that it has reached out to the campus Hillel and liberal pro-Israel groups “to gauge their interest in participating in the conference as dissenting voices.”
The full university and Hillel statements are after the jump:
[[READMORE]]
Penn Statement on Planned BDS Conference – From the President’s Office
December 2011A campus student group, Penn BDS, is planning a national conference in February that will encourage boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.
This is not an event sponsored by the University. The event is being sponsored by a registered student group, as is permitted of any student group on campus.
The University of Pennsylvania has clearly stated on numerous occasions that it does not support sanctions or boycotts against Israel. Indeed, Penn has important and successful scholarly collaborations with Israeli institutions that touch on many areas of our academic enterprise.
Penn has always supported free expression and the free exchange of ideas. These are essential elements of a great university. These principles apply to this event, as they would any other student event, whether or not we agree with or condone the message BDS seeks to communicate.
Official Hillel Statement on the BDS Movement Holding its Annual Conference on the Campus of the University of Pennsylvania from February 3 to 5, 2012
“Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life resolutely condemns calls and campaigns for boycotts, divestment or sanctions against Israel and believes they have no place on campus because they are blatantly anti-Israel and amount to acts of political and economic warfare,” Hillel President and CEO Wayne L. Firestone said. The BDS movement is antithetical to principles of academic freedom and discourages freedom of speech. Speakers at BDS events are anti-negotiation and call for the end of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. By pursuing delegitimization campaigns on campus, BDS proponents provoke deep divisions among students and create an atmosphere of intolerance and hatred.
As we clearly state in our Guidelines for Campus Israel Activities – published on our website – Hillel will not partner with, house or host organizations, groups or speakers that as a matter of policy or practice deny the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish and democratic state or support boycott of, divestment from, or sanctions against the State of Israel. We applaud the University of Pennsylvania for its official statement in which it makes clear that the university does not support sanctions or boycotts against Israel, and we call upon students, faculty, administrators and other campus stakeholders to uphold the academic and democratic values of a free and civil discourse that promotes peace and tolerance. We join Hillel of Greater Philadelphia, under the leadership of Rabbi Howard Alpert and operating through its University of Pennsylvania affiliate, in objecting to the University of Pennsylvania allowing the BDS movement to hold its upcoming annual conference on campus.
