Ask two Jews about something and you will get three different opinions. However, when it comes to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) resolution put before the Minnesota Student Association yesterday, the organized Jewish community is speaking with one unified voice.
We believe the BDS movement is inherently anti-Semitic and that it constitutes a personal attack on our community. BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti has said, “I do not buy into the two-state solution. It is … pragmatically impossible.” But a two-state solution is the only feasible way to end this tragic conflict in a peaceful and humane manner.
The leaders of UMN Divest say they support changing Israel from a Jewish state to a secular democracy. But removing Israel’s Jewish character delegitimizes it right to exist.
Students for Justice in Palestine deserves a lot of credit for fighting for the transparency of our school’s financial investments and holding the University of Minnesota to a high standard of social responsibility.
Yet we cannot support a resolution that runs counter to our idea of a peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Advocating for transparency and social responsibility in our University’s investments is a noble goal. However, we cannot reach it through singling out just one country and only blaming one side for a complex political situation.
Noah Farber
University student
