[Fdu] Ehab Lotayef: HuffPost: McGill Student Politics or Anti-Semitism?

[Cynthia Wright]

*//*
The full text is below or here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ehab-lotayef/dont-conflate-mcgill-student-politics-with-anti-semitism_a_23273708/


*Don't Conflate McGill Student Politics With Anti-Semitism*
*Opposing Israel's policies and practices is a political
and human rights position that no one should be punished for holding

*

McGill, like many other universities worldwide, has been the site of 
debates over the international movement for Boycott, Divestment and 
Sanctions of/from/on Israel (BDS) for the past few years.

Aresolution was passed 
<http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/controversial-vote-by-mcgill-students-supports-bds>by 
the McGill Undergraduate Student Society (SSMU) in support of BDS in 
February 2016, butit was rejected in the subsequent online ratification 
process 
<http://publications.mcgill.ca/reporter/2016/02/students-reject-bds-motion/>. 
However, an important caveat is needed here: after appeal, the online 
ratification process was ruled invalid because phone and email lists, 
paid advertisements and social media campaigning were used, in violation 
of the Internal Regulations. Unfortunately, this ruling only came after 
the school year had ended, and so there was no possibility of repeating 
the ratification process. Thus, the BDS motion was considered not 
ratified, and was not adopted.


To counter the BDS motion and pre-empt any similar ones in the future, 
the Judicial Board of SSMUruled BDS unconstitutional according to SSMU 
laws. 
<https://www.algemeiner.com/2017/09/18/mcgill-university-ratifies-ruling-rejecting-bds-for-promoting-discrimination-based-on-nationality/>This 
decision was ratified on Sept. 17, 2017 by the Board of Directors (BoD) 
of SSMU.

At the SSMU Fall 2017 General Assembly (GA) on Oct. 23,students voted 
against affirming 
<http://www.mcgilltribune.com/news/democratize-ssmu-motions-non-confidence-in-president-at-fall-ga-103117/>three 
appointed BoD members, two of whom were against BDS and supported the 
"unconstitutionality" ruling.

All these events, despite some question marks, irregularities and 
procedural concerns, remain within acceptable limits of student politics 
and the students' practice of their democratic governance.

What is alarming is what followed. A claim was made —one that made media 
headlines 
<https://globalnews.ca/news/3829503/mcgill-investigating-anti-semitism-re-election-vote/>— 
that the student directorswere voted down in a show of anti-Semitism 
<http://www.mcgilltribune.com/news/democratize-ssmu-motions-non-confidence-in-president-at-fall-ga-103117/>when, 
quite clearly, this was strictly a political difference and an exercise 
of democratic choice: the three students were not affirmed because they 
were anti-BDS or deemed unqualified by the student body, not because 
they were Jewish. In fact, only one of the students was Jewish.

As a Muslim and an Arab living in the West for decades, I understand how 
it feels to be the subject of discrimination or hate, and I would never 
take lightly any form of racism or discrimination. Anti-Semitism is a 
deplorable crime that cannot be ignored. I understand that very well and 
always combat it actively, although I am not personally a target.


On the other hand, being anti-Israel or anti-Zionism, or opposing 
Israel's policies and practices — many of which are long-condemned by 
the UN and counter to UN resolutions — is a political and human rights 
position that no one should be condemned, let alone punished, for holding.

As someone who witnessed firsthand Israel's discriminatory, unjust 
policies and practices against the Palestinian people, I stand with all 
who support justice and freedom, and who affirm their rights to act 
against Israel or Zionism in any peaceful manner they choose.

Irresponsibly using the allegation of anti-Semitism in the context of 
the McGill SSMU events is dangerous. When the claim of anti-Semitism is 
misused to stifle debate, defend a political entity or block a 
democratic process, it loses its value. Thus, real incidents of 
anti-Semitism are at risk of not being taken seriously or not given the 
attention they deserve.

Conflating anti-Zionism or anti-Israel protests with anti-Semitism does 
not benefit or protect the Jewish people from anti-Semitism. On the 
contrary, it may put the Jewish people in a negative light in the eyes 
of the many who see Israel and Zionism as unjust and oppressive to the 
Palestinian people.

Another alarming aspect of the McGill BDS debate is the interference of 
the university administration in student life and its attempt to 
influence student opinions. In early 2016,the administration made its 
position known very quickly 
<http://publications.mcgill.ca/reporter/2016/02/students-reject-bds-motion/>, 
announcing, in unambiguous terms, that it is not only against BDS but 
will not allow the student motion to influence university policies.


Again, over the past couple of weeks, since anti-BDS students were voted 
off the SSMU BoD, the administration seemed under tremendous pressure to 
act and reaffirm its position.

The administration's reaction has been disproportionate to an allegation 
of anti-Semitism that, until now, is no more than that — an allegation — 
contradicted by the publicly known and observed facts.

Immediately after the Oct. 23 SSMU GA, theprincipal went public and 
announced through an email 
<https://www.mcgill.ca/principal/communications/statements/upholding-mcgills-values>to 
the entire McGill community that there will be an official university 
investigation as well as the creation of a support line and a task 
force. This wasfollowed by another email 
<https://www.mcgill.ca/principal/communications/statements/message-principal-re-steps-being-taken-address-allegations-anti-semitism>with 
more details about the investigation. McGill's was a disproportionate 
response to unfounded and unproven allegations.


Do these actions by the university administration constitute 
interference in student governance and affairs? Are they intended to 
intimidate and silence students who advocate BDS or who stand against 
Israeli policies?

With the anti-BDS campaign, led by Israel and supported by Zionist 
groups worldwide, going to great lengths to fight theBDS movement on 
university campuses 
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/03/israel-brands-palestinian-boycott-strategic-threat-netanyahu>andelsewhere 
<https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.659269>, I can only wonder how 
much pressure is McGill under.

It all seems like an abuse of the term "anti-Semitism" and a scare 
tactic directed towards those who confront Israel or promote BDS.

What will be left if we deny Palestinian BDS supporters the legal venues 
to express their views and advocate for action? Is this how the 
university will ensure that "values and principles of academic freedom, 
integrity, responsibility, equity and inclusiveness are respected," as 
stated in the principal's email on Oct. 25?


/Ehab Lotayef is a writer, activist, poet & IT manager at McGill University/



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