The anti-Israel organization SUNY BDS held a “launch event” on Tuesday, the day after it was issued a cease-and-desist letter by SUNY’s lawyers.
The controversial group claims to represent students and faculty from the system’s 64 colleges, but also says they are not affiliated with New York University.
The group accused Israel of “occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing” as the war in Gaza continues.
The State University of New York slammed activist groups on Friday with a cease-and-desist letter warning them not to “use the intellectual property” of the state university system, and on Monday demanding they comply.
“SUNY BDS is specifically advised that failure to comply with or delay in complying with these requests may result in further damages for which SUNY BDS may be liable,” SUNY’s attorney said. wrote and requested a written response.
BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions and is part of a larger movement to punish those who do business with Israel.
Apparently unfazed by this warning, SUNY BDS held an online event on Zoom on Tuesday anyway, with speakers discussing strategies for forcing the SUNY system to sever economic ties with Israel.
Zoom states, “SUNY BDS is not officially affiliated with the State University of New York. The views expressed here are 100% our own and do not reflect the views of the State of New York or the State University of New York. .”
A SUNY spokesperson told the Post that the disclaimer “makes clear that their opinions are their own and do not represent SUNY or New York State.”
“New York University unequivocally condemns Hamas’s horrific terrorist attack on October 7, absolutely defends Israel’s right to exist, and opposes bigotry and bigotry of all kinds on campus, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. “We have categorically rejected this,” New York University said in a statement. statement.
“Student safety remains our top priority, and SUNY is committed to ensuring an inclusive environment free of harassment and discrimination.”
The group’s actions are also contrary to New York state policy. Executive Order 157It requires the state to strip all public funds from groups that support boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaigns against Israel.
More than 2,000 people, including dozens of SUNY faculty and staff, signed a statement supporting SUNY BDS.
In a statement, the group said it would “suspend recruitment efforts at major arms manufacturing companies, strip donations and pensions from funds supporting Israel, and protect Israeli cultural and academic institutions and institutions that profit from and perpetrate genocide. “We will implement a boycott of the organization,” the statement said.
Tuesday’s speakers included award-winning Palestinian poet and scholar Mosab Abu Toha; He was in Gaza when war broke out on October 7. Palestinian American activist Riham Barghouti.
Barghouti said SUNY BDS is a “nonviolent movement” inspired by the American civil rights movement and South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement. She said the group “stands against all forms of racism,” including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
He also mentioned the death of Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old airman who self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., in protest of the war in Gaza.
“To honor his sacrifice, and the sacrifices of so many others, we must continue the pressure to end the current genocide being carried out by Israel.” Barghouti he said.
SUNY BDS also announced a “Day of Action” on March 26 across all 64 campuses.
SUNY BDS posted a screenshot of the Post’s Sunday article about the group and a photo of several people holding copies of Friday’s newspaper, which featured the story on the front page.
The photo was captioned: “Sunybds management committee collects this newspaper like a trophy.”
A SUNY spokesperson said the event included a disclaimer “clarifying that their opinions are their own and do not represent SUNY or New York State.”
