STATEMENT REGARDING A NATIONAL BDS MOVEMENT CONFERENCE
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Updated December 26, 2011
This February, the BDS Movement (that advocates Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions against Israel) will hold its national conference at Penn. The conference, which is hosted by a student group called Penn BDS, will bring together academics, professional activists, students, and community members to advocate for the boycott, divestment and sanction of the State of Israel.
The BDS movement is less about constructive ideas for building peace and more about delegitimizing the State of Israel. It applies a double standard that destroys the sophisticated civil discourse that is a core element of the mission of the University of Pennsylvania.
Hillel of Greater Philadelphia, operating through its Penn Hillel affiliate, communicated its objections to the University about having this type of conference on Penn’s campus. While we would have preferred that the conference not be granted space at the University of Pennsylvania, we welcome the university’s statement distancing itself from the conference and affirming its strong rejection of boycott, divestment or sanction of Israel.
Penn Hillel is working assertively with the university to assure that the conference does not create a hostile or unsafe environment for the free exchange of ideas and for students to be openly pro-Israel.
Penn Hillel Director Rabbi Mike Uram, Hillel staff, and student leaders are also using this situation as an opportunity to educate students about Israel, inform them about the reality of the BDS campaign, and expand the coalition of Israel’s friends at Penn among both Jews and non-Jews.
Your support and partnership are important to Hillel and the students we serve. We want to make sure that you are informed about what is happening and we invite your suggestions to help us successfully navigate this event.
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Rabbi Howard Alpert
Executive Director |
Jeffrey Barrack
President |
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