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WALK FOR
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ISRAEL
Divestment Vote
Anti-Israel resolution fails on
UM-Dearborn campus.
Ronelle Grier
Contributing Writer
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16 April 17 • 2014
few days after a controversial
divestment resolution was
voted down by the Central
Student Government (CSG) at the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor,
a similar resolution also was defeated
at the University of Michigan-
Dearborn.
While the resolution requesting the
administration to divest funds from
four companies accused of violat-
ing Palestinian rights was trounced,
the Student Government (SG) at the
Dearborn campus did pass a second-
ary proposal calling for the creation of
an advisory committee to review the
university's financial investments by a
vote of 17-5.
Representatives from Hillel of Metro
Detroit (HMD) and other local Jewish
groups learned about the resolution
on the afternoon of Friday, March
28, only six hours before the meeting
was scheduled to begin. According
to Miriam Starkman, HMD executive
director, the resolu-
tion was submitted
by a group called
Students for Justice
in Palestine just
before the midnight
deadline the day
prior to the meeting.
Miriam
Hillel staffers
Starkman
moved quickly to
make plans for dis-
puting the resolution. Brett Willner,
HMD program associate, contacted
some colleagues who had worked
on defeating the BDS (Boycott,
Divestment, and Sanctions) resolution
in Ann Arbor earlier that week.
The short notice and the time of
the meeting, 6-9 p.m. on a Friday
(Shabbat), made it challenging to find
supporters able to attend. Willner,
along with Neil Cantor, HMD direc-
tor of Jewish Student Life, and Hava
Ylyaguev, president of the Jewish
Student Organization at UM-D, were
available.
The resolution targeted Caterpillar,
General Electric, Heidelberg Cement
and United Technologies, accus-
ing these businesses of violating
the human rights of Palestinians by
engaging in military contracts with
Israel. The UM-D resolution was
endorsed by several other organiza-
tions, including the Arab Student
Union and the Muslim Students
Association.
Willner, who
spoke at the meet-
ing, criticized
the resolution for
singling out Israel
instead of includ-
ing human rights
concerns in other
countries.
Brett Willner
"Why is it focus-
ing on one country — Israel?" said
Willner, who served in the Israeli
army. "Is there going to be a separate
resolution for China (or other coun-
tries)? Mentioning Israel makes it an
anti-Israel resolution."
Willner said the audience and
speakers on both sides of the issue
were very cordial, although those sup-
porting the BDS resolution outnum-
bered those who opposed it.
"It was not contentious or intimi-
dating," Willner said. "There was a
very open debate, especially compared
to Ann Arbor and other schools deal-
ing with this issue."
Starkman added that the university
administration was very cooperative.
"It was a very civil discourse she
said.
Hillel of Metro Detroit staff mem-
bers will be following up with the
UM-D administration about two
issues: the Friday night meetings,
which present a conflict for Jews who
observe Shabbat; and the procedure
for adding items to the agenda for
upcoming Student Government meet-
ings.
"When you have a controversial
issue, there should be an opportunity
for the opposite side to prepare said
Willner, adding that Students for
Justice in Palestine had publicized that
the BDS resolution would be discussed
at the March 28 meeting, including
posting it on its Facebook page.
Representatives from the Dearborn
campus' Student Government said
the Friday evening schedule was initi-
ated because it shortened meeting
time and improved efficiency because
most students were eager to take care
of business and commence weekend
plans. Starkman and Willner are hop-
ing their ongoing dialogues with uni-
versity officials will result in changing
this policy so more Jewish students
will be able to participate. Currently,
no Jewish students are serving on the
UM-D Student Government.
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