Nazim Elnur

BDS Deception at McGill

McGill BDS

On February 22, 2016, McGill BDS proposed a motion to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s General Assembly, demanding the university withdraw investment from Israeli companies, including Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank, L-3 Communications and Re/Max. The vote passed 512 to 357, in support of BDS.

On February 25, 2016, it was reported that BDS supporters targeted Jewish students opposed to the vote, filling social media with anti-semititic remarks, like "Little Zionist jewboys not happy that McGill students don’t support their genocide." One Jewish student was followed home and verbally harassed and another contacted the police regarding an attempted hack to his Facebook page. One campaigner voting against the divestment bill said he knew at least 10 students who sought counselling to help with intolerable situations.

On February 27, 2016, the BDS initiative lost the subsequent online ratification vote by 57 to 43 percent. Following the announcement of that vote, McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier issued a statement to the university community "to explain why the University’s administration continues to steadfastly oppose the BDS movement, of which this motion is a part."

"The BDS movement, which among other things, calls for universities to cut ties with Israeli universities, flies in the face of the tolerance and respect we cherish as values fundamental to a university. It proposes actions that are contrary to the principles of academic freedom, equity, inclusiveness and the exchange of views and ideas in responsible, open discourse."

Also on February 24th, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government overwhelmingly approved a motion condemning Canadians who promote the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) against Israel. The motion called on the Canadian government to "condemn any and all attempts by Canadian organizations, groups or individuals to promote the BDS movement, both here at home and abroad," due to the movement’s promoting the “demonization and delegitimization” of Israel. The motion passed by a vote of 229-51.

Two similar BDS motions were voted down at McGill in March 2015 and October 2014. On March 15 2015, SPHR presented SSMU with a motion calling for McGill to boycott five corporations conducting business in Israel. The motion failed by 64 votes after an intense 45-minute debate. Prior to the vote, the SPHR team campaign to promote the resolution featured a pro-BDS panel discussion. Though the panel discussion pushed for an academic boycott of Israel, this was not included in the final McGill Divestment Motion. On October 22, 2014, a BDS motion was shelved indefinitely by the McGill University undergraduates’ association at its general assembly.

Two similar BDS motions

Two similar BDS motions were voted down at McGill in March 2015 and October 2014. On March 15 2015, SPHR presented SSMU with a motion calling for McGill to boycott five corporations conducting business in Israel. The motion failed by 64 votes after an intense 45-minute debate. Prior to the vote, the SPHR team campaign to promote the resolution featured a pro-BDS panel discussion. Though the panel discussion pushed for an academic boycott of Israel, this was not included in the final McGill Divestment Motion. On October 22, 2014, a BDS motion was shelved indefinitely by the McGill University undergraduates’ association at its general assembly.

SPHR

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) was formed in 1999 via a merger between the Concordia Centre for Palestinian Human Rights (CCPHR) at Concordia University and the Palestinian Solidarity Committee (PSC) at McGill. The group gained notoriety after instigating a riot at Concordia, that forced then former (and current) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a speech scheduled for September 9, 2002. Ticket holders later reported that the protesters subjected them to antisemitic slogans and physical attacks. A holocaust survivor was kicked in the groin and a local Rabbi with his wife were assaulted and spat on.

SJP

SJP is a student organization engaged in anti-Israel activity on North American college and university campuses.

The first chapter of SJP was founded in 2001 at the University of California at Berkeley by Professor Hatem Bazian. Bazian has spread classic anti-Semitism, reportedly promoted religious anti-Semitism and defended the Hamas terror group. In 2004, Bazian called for “intifada” in America.

SJP organizes anti-Israel campaigns, including running annual Israel Apartheid Weeks, often in collaboration with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Muslim Students Association (MSA) campus chapters.

SJP has been a major force in pushing the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement on campuses. Chapters have initiated dozens of BDS resolutions in student governments, which have been proposed on or around Jewish holidays, a time when many Jewish students are off-campus.

SJP activists have reportedly physically assaulted, intimidated and harassed Jewish students, disrupted pro-Israel campus events and demonized pro-Israel campus organizations.

Chapters have often endorsed and campaigned for numerous terrorists and whitewashed terrorism.

BDS

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by Omar Barghouti in 2005 to challenge “international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.” BDS is an allegedly “Palestinian-led movement,” although leading BDS activists have admitted [00:01:01] this is not true. 

One of the demands of BDS includes [point 3] what is generally known as the “right of return,” a demand discredited as a way to eliminate Israel. Barghouti said the “right of return” is a means to “end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.”  

Barghouti has said that BDS “aims to turn Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.”

In his activism, Barghouti has also said [00:05:55] regarding Israel: “Definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No…rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”

The movement has been linked to numerous terrorist organizations and received a public endorsement from Hamas in 2017.

BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.

The movement’s most notable achievement has been the infiltration of university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments and student groups, backed by their own anti-Israel members and affiliates, have proposed resolutions on some form of boycott of, or divestment from, Israel and Israeli-affiliated entities.

Boycott resolutions, although non-binding, have been passed by student governments on numerous North American campuses.

BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campus. On one campus, when the student government debated a BDS resolution, reports emerged of violent threats against those opposing it.