By Tamar Shmaryahu, ICB Reporter
Last weekend's Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) conference at the University of Pennsylvania prompted student leaders at Ivy League universities to sign a joint leadership statement condemning the movement.
The leadership statement emanated from Columbia University's pro-Israel group LionPAC. Last semester, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a national conference on the Columbia campus and LionPAC president Eric Schorr felt in retrospect that if pro-Israel solidarity had been expressed, the Columbia pro-Israel community would not have felt so alienated.
“Boycotts are an obstacle to peace,” the statement declares, noting that the BDS movement blames Israel but does little to help the Palestinian cause and take a proactive stance. “If those behind the BDS movement truly believe in a two-state solution, they will support measures to bring the two sides together, not draw them further apart.”
“We have similar challenges across the board, not just in Ivy Leagues but in all schools," Schorr said. "We must show solidarity and show that they should never feel that they are alone. United we are stronger.”
Last Thursday, Schorr traveled to Philadelphia to introduce the statement at a Penn event featuring Alan Dershowitz. Schorr expressed hope that the statement can serve as a model for schools nationwide to undertake similar initiatives.
“The BDS movement’s tactic is to delegitimize Israel, to create a wedge between Americans and pro-Israel students," he said. "Our goal should be to combat lies with truth."
The signatories hope to publish the letter in The Daily Pennsylvanian, where it will be seen by Penn students and the broader Philadelphia community.
Harry Reis, president emeritus of Brown Students for Israel, said he signed because he felt it was important to express solidarity. “Often times, students feel their work is in a vacuum, but it is really important to know pro-Israel support is widespread and there are students across the country undergoing the same battle,” Reis said.
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