metro WALK FOR „,, o fiPp ISRAEL Divestment Vote Anti-Israel resolution fails on UM-Dearborn campus. Ronelle Grier Contributing Writer Celebrating Israel A Diversity A Melting Pot of Cultures and Ethnicities Established in 1948 as the national homeland for the Jewish people, Israel's population includes Jews of every geographic, ethnic, and religious identity. 20% of Israelis are non-Jews. All Israelis enjoy equal rights. Israel is a melting pot, with diverse groups contributing to Israel's rich culture and traditions. 5 , • Israel is a dynamic democracy with citizens of diverse political and religious beliefs. Israel is home to people from over 70 countries. t. • Israeli-Arabs, Israel's largest minority, are active in all facets of life. - • Israel protects religious freedom and is the only Middle-Eastern country where the Christian population is growing. 1. • Women are vital in governing, developing, and protecting the nation. 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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. ❑