Demand the University of Michigan Reject BDS

On November 18, the University of Michigan’s Central Student Government is voting on an antisemitic, slanderous Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution.

The UMich Regents have previously rejected demands to divest, and former President Ono rightfully declared that BDS is antisemitic. Demand that Interim President Grasso and the University of Michigan’s leadership reaffirm the University’s opposition to the BDS movement.

To Interim President Grasso and the leadership of the University of Michigan:

Anti-Israel activists are once again trying to advance an antisemitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution through the University of Michigan’s Central Student Government.

The University’s Regents and former President Ono have rightfully rejected demands to divest from Israel. In response to the renewed demands for divestment, I am writing to urge you to publicly and forcefully reaffirm the University’s opposition to the BDS movement. This is critical to ensure Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist students feel safe and supported amid the climate of hate on campuses across the country.

The proposed BDS resolution is riddled with inaccuracies and deceptive assertions that are actually part of a longstanding, well-organized campaign to demonize, ostracize, and isolate Israel, the world’s only Jewish state. The resolution falsely alleges that Israel is engaged in genocide and cites organizations with demonstrable anti-Israel and antisemitic biases as a basis for cutting ties with companies that do business with Israel.

BDS activity on college campuses has been linked to an increase in antisemitic activity on campus and only inflames tensions in already dangerous environments for Jewish students. Granting any legitimacy to the resolution and the antisemitic BDS movement will only lead to increased hostility toward Jewish students on campus.

Hamas supporters have consistently disrupted life on campus since the horrific October 7 massacre. Jewish students, Jewish spaces, and the homes of the University of Michigan’s Regents have all been attacked. Activists have hijacked university institutions to attack Israel, including freezing funding for student groups and trying to divert hundreds of thousands of dollars to Gaza. The latest BDS resolution is another shameless attempt to weaponize university bodies against Israel.

I urge the University’s leadership to reaffirm its rejection of the antisemitic BDS movement, regardless of the results of the student government vote. Universities should be places where all students, regardless of their background or beliefs, feel safe and respected. You must ensure that the University of Michigan’s campus remains a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.

Signed,
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