The American University Student Government polled students between Oct. 8 and Oct. 11 on their opinions regarding divestment from Israel. Though more students voted in this year’s government elections than in previous years, only 2,093 students cast ballots—a meager 29% of the eligible voter population at the university in Washington, D.C. Of that insubstantial turnout, the results of the referendums on divestment from Israel proved there was no consensus on this issue. There was also not enough pressure for American University to divest.
The referendum on divestment asked students questions that were biased, misleading, inflammatory and simply untrue. They created a breeding ground for the kind of vile anti-Israel and antisemitic hatred we have seen time and time again on our college campus.
There were three “yes or no” questions. The first asked whether the board of trustees should “rescind AU’s long-standing position to oppose boycotts, divestment from Israel, and other related actions.” The second asked whether AU’s board of trustees should “disclose, boycott, divest and sanction all corporations.” The third asked whether AU’s board of trustees should boycott academic programs “complicit in the occupation and destruction of Palestinian life and land.”
Of the students who voted, some 66% voted yes to the first question, 64% voted yes to the second, and 55% voted yes to the third. Though this is a simple majority of the students who voted, this is not—as some claim—a victory for those who seek to boycott Israel. Since such an insignificant fraction of students voted, these results are skewed. The referendum on rescinding the university’s position on boycotts, which received the highest number of affirmative votes, still only received support from 19% of the eligible student body. That is not a consensus. By not voting, most AU students have made their position very clear: Divestment should not, by any means, be on the table for the academic institution.
However, student organizations, both recognized, like Students for Justice in Palestine, and unrecognized, like Jewish Voice for Peace, have claimed that the results of the referendum are a “victory.” Their claims of “record turnout” and students voting “to divest from the Israeli occupation” are merely a bold subversion of the truth.
To truly understand the impact of these falsifications on our community, it’s important to go back to April of this year when the undergraduate Senate first brought up the BDS resolution. The convoluted nature of how this vote came to fruition is even more of a reason for divestment to be off the table.
On a Shabbat right before Passover, the student government introduced the bill to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel, Israeli companies, and any company or individual with ties to the Jewish state. This resolution was purposefully hidden from the Jewish community. Numerous text messages from student senators requesting that no one inform members of Hillel or Students Supporting Israel (SSI) that the vote was happening were leaked.
Despite this clear attempt to sideline Jewish students, SSI members like myself showed up to speak against the passage of the resolution. We faced intimidation and harassment from students and faculty at the meeting. They physically blocked SSI members from being able to see by standing in front of them. They also mocked pro-Israel students during their speeches and took photos and videos to try to intimidate them. Despite this, the student government passed the BDS bill with an anonymous vote.
Then-American University president Sylvia Burwell instantly made it clear that divestment was not on the table. Despite this, the student government made further efforts to subvert equality and added the three BDS referendums onto the Senate election ballot. Some in the government are members of Students for Justice in Palestine, while others were persuaded by them. The way each referendum question was phrased was misleading, especially for students who know next to nothing about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict outside of social media.
As campus protests, movements to divest and disruptions have become more common since the horrific attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, it becomes even more crucial to correctly interpret votes on referendums such as the ones the American University community voted last month. The only statement made by the recent vote is that divestment is not a matter of concern to the overwhelming majority of students.
It is critical for universities and the public not to take these proclaimed “victories” at face value. It is also vital that pro-Israel students continue to fight against the vicious antisemitism that plagues this campus. By collaborating, making our voices heard and engaging in activism in our communities, we can make this campus a safer, more inclusive space for the American University Jewish community.
