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Gottheimer blasts Rutgers faculty union for endorsing BDS

“It is unacceptable and has no place on college campuses or in our country,” the New Jersey congressman said in a statement.

Honors College at Rutgers University in New Jersey
The Honors College at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., constructed in 2015. Credit: Jass/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) responded forcefully to a vote by Rutgers University’s faculty union to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against the Jewish state.

“I strongly condemn the Rutgers AAUP-AFT and Adjunct Faculty Union vote to approve an antisemitic BDS resolution calling on the state university to divest its financial investments and academic affiliations with America’s key democratic ally, Israel,” Gottheimer said in a statement on Dec. 20.

He said that “the hate-motivated, antisemitic BDS movement calls for the eradication of the democratic state of Israel, America’s key ally. It is unacceptable and has no place on college campuses or in our country, especially at Rutgers.”

He also noted that “under New Jersey state law, it is illegal for New Jersey state pension and annuity funds to invest in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli businesses.”

The congressman urged Rutgers “to immediately and publicly reject this harmful resolution and reaffirm its commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all students and faculty.”

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