As an alumnus of the University of Minnesota, a proud liberal and a progressive American Jew, I am appalled by your call to boycott Israel.
The fact that you single out the only Jewish state for boycotts while ignoring countries in the Middle East that commit human rights violations is interesting to say the least. It’s also racist.
Your call to boycott the world’s only Jewish state is anti-Jewish, anti-Palestinian and against everything we as Americans should stand for.
Singling out the world’s only Jewish state for boycotts while ignoring the atrocities committed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, ISIS and others is anti-Jewish, plain and simple.
The United States government agrees, seeing as it defines anti-Semitism related to Israel as just this. The government says holding a double standard against Israel and calling for its destruction is anti-Semitic. You are violating our own government’s definition of racism against the Jewish people.
Iran has hanged members of the LQBTQ community for their “crimes,” Saudi Arabia has whipped women in public for driving, Syria has gassed its own citizens and Hamas has executed people in Gaza for allegedly passing information to Israel. Yet you single out Israel.
The Jewish state offers its citizens freedom of speech, freedom of the press and rights for all minorities. Why do you choose to pick on the only Jewish state, despite the fact that Freedom House ranks Israel every year as the most free country in the Middle East?
Moreover, you claim to fight for the Palestinians, but why do you ignore the blatant human rights abuses the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have committed against innocent Palestinians?
Hamas is a recognized terrorist organization that has used Palestinians as human shields during war. This is a war crime. If you really cared about the Palestinians, you would speak out against this.
The University is known for its tolerant and progressive values, and you are trying to destroy my alma mater’s reputation by passing an anti-Jewish resolution that promotes the ideas of global terrorist organizations and dictatorships. You have a right to preach your illiberal and anti-Semitic values on campus, but please be honest about your agenda.
Zach Stern
University alumnus
