The student government at California Polytechnic State University passed a resolution this week condemning anti-Semitism and preventing discrimination, including against Jewish students.
The bylaw amendment was successfully introduced by seniors Noah Krigel and Aliza Herzberg, both of whom sit on the student government’s board of directors for the school’s college of liberal arts.
The amendment established a roadblock for any future attempts at introducing a BDS measure at California Polytechnic State University.
“Jewish students [are] concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism nationally … especially on college campuses, in addition to other forms of xenophobia and discrimination of marginalized communities at Cal Poly SLO,” said Krigel and Herzberg.
Section 4.7.1.3 of the bill states: “Neither the board nor any body or organization under its jurisdiction … shall not practice or sanction any unlawful discriminatory practice related to: veteran status, uniformed service member status, race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, or related medical conditions), age, national origin or ancestry, immigration status, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, or genetic information (including testing and characteristics).”
“This is a major victory for our students. It is a preventive measure to deny any access to the anti-Semitic rhetoric of the BDS campaign. It not only allows our students to feel safe and included, but it shapes the academic atmosphere needed to have genuine, accurate, and productive conversations about the complexities of the conflict,” said West Coast campus coordinator for CAMERA Yoni Michanie.