As the Middle East Implodes, UCI Student Government Passes Divestiture Resolution Against Israel

Can't make this stuff up, folks. Once again, the University of California at Irvine (where I have taught part-time for 14 years) has suffered another black eye.

Amid all the horrors going on in Egypt, Sudan, Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and on and on and on, the student government at UC Irvine has unanimously passed a resolution calling for divestiture by UCI from companies doing business with the state of Israel.

http://www.asuci.uci.edu/legislative/legislations/print.php?cnum=R48-15&gov_branch=ASUCI

REQUEST FOR ACTION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 

All requests may be typed and submitted to the Executive Vice President no later 5:00 p.m. Thursday in order to be included in the agenda for the following Tuesday. The Executive Vice President reserves the right to delay the Request for Action to a later Council session if the Executive Vice President feels the agenda for the next schedule meeting is full.

 Item Number: 16Legislation Number (B: Bill, R: Resolution): R48-15Author:   Sabreen Shalabi  Second:  Shadi JafariSynopsis: Divestment from Companies that Profit from Apartheid

Date of Presentation: November 13, 2012 

 Divestment from Companies that Profit from Apartheid



WHEREAS, it is UC Irvine’s duty to maintain the values of “respect, intellectual curiosity, integrity, commitment, and empathy” which includes the promotion of human rights, equality, and dignity for all people without distinction# ;
Baha'i persecuted in Iran
Syria



WHEREAS, it is the mission of the UCI Foundation to “ensure the appropriate use of all funds” in order to uphold the values of respect, intellectual curiosity, integrity, commitment appreciation, and empathy #;

WHEREAS, students have a legacy of standing against oppression and injustice at UC Irvine and across the U.S.;



Egyptian church bombing



WHEREAS, the role of student activists in exposing South Africa’s apartheid system and  supporting equality, freedom, and dignity sets an example for us to follow as students of global conscience;

WHEREAS, as the example of South Africa shows, it is imperative for students to stand unequivocally against all forms of racism and bigotry globally and on campus, including but not limited to Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, patriarchy, and Israel’s system of apartheid;


Gays hanged in Iran                                       Stoning in Iran



WHEREAS, the occupied Palestinian Territory is controlled militarily by the Israeli government#;

WHEREAS, certain companies have promoted and been complicit in these ongoing human rights violations systematically committed by the Israeli government, which have been documented by human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Al-Haq, Defense for Children International, Addameer, B’tselem, Adalah, Badil, and the Israeli Coalition Against Home Demolitions;  

Chabad House in Mumbai



WHEREAS, according to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), “the construction by Israel of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its associated régime are contrary to international law”#; 

Rocket attacks in Sderot, S Israel from Gaza

WHEREAS, according to the same ICJ decision, the establishment and expansion of settlements in the West Bank and Eastern Jerusalem is also illegal by international law#;


Israeli bus bombed in Jerusalem



WHEREAS, according to the UN General Assembly’s application of the Fourth Geneva Convention to occupied Palestinian territory, the establishment and expansion of settlements “...in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially settlement activities...remain contrary to international law and cannot be recognized, irrespective of the passage of time”#;



Fogel family massacre


WHEREAS, a US Department of State official said that the US policy “on Israeli settlements has not changed and will not change. Like every American administration for decades, we do not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity.”#;

WHEREAS, according to the UN General Assembly’s application of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the exploitation of natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory is also illegal by international law#;

WHEREAS, these violations of human rights and international law have been recognized and have resulted in the condemnation of the state of Israel by the international community in the UN Security Council, Human Rights Council Fact-Finding mission in Gaza, and the above mentioned governmental bodies and organizations, which consequently resulted in dozens of resolutions concerning the state of Israel (i.e. 106, 111, 127, 162, 171, 228, 237, 248, 250-252, 256, 259, 262, 265, 267, 270, 271, 279, 280, 285, 298, 313, 316, 317, 332, 337, 347, 425, 427, 444, 446, etc.);

WHEREAS, our university invests in, and thereby profits from companies, which have an active role in the human rights abuse and institutionalized structural violence against the Palestinian people, thereby making it a complicit third-party;

WHEREAS, these companies have been previously engaged by various solidarity campaigns and concerned investors about their complicit involvement in the previously mentioned human rights violations of the Palestinian people to no avail;

WHEREAS, the following illustrative and non-exhaustive list of companies, which the university invests in, plays a role in these human rights violations;


WHEREAS, Caterpillar has helped sustain the occupation by providing engineering tools and bulldozers to destroy Palestinian houses, neighborhoods (in refugee camps), agriculture, and water cisterns#;

WHEREAS, Caterpillar has also provided engineering tools and bulldozers to expand illegal settlements and construct the Wall and checkpoints#;

WHEREAS, Cement Roadstones Holding (CRH) has also contributed to the construction of military checkpoints, the Wall, and the settlement enterprise by providing cement and other building material#;

WHEREAS, CRH and Cemex have supplied building materials used to build illegal settlements, the Wall, and checkpoints #;


WHEREAS, Cemex also illegally owns and operates manufacturing plants in West Bank settlements, exploiting Palestinian natural resources in violation of international law#;

WHEREAS, General Electric Company (GE) manufactures and supplies engines for A64 Apache Helicopters, systematically used by the Israeli military; in attacks on Palestinian civilians which constitute severe human rights violations and war crimes# ;

Iranian nuclear facility


WHEREAS, Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) has supported restricting the freedom of movement of the Palestinian peoples within the West Bank by providing biometric identification systems used in the Israeli military checkpoints#;

WHEREAS, Raytheon’s guided missiles were used to ruthlessly level civilian dense regions during Operation Cast Lead#;

WHEREAS, Sodastream operates its main manufacturing plant in an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank# ;

WHEREAS, L-3 Communications has provided the Israeli occupation with equipment used in military checkpoints throughout the occupied West Bank, used to promote the dehumanization and humiliation of the Palestinians; to take away Palestinian freedom of movement between Palestinian towns and cities; to fragmentize and strangle the Palestinian economy# ;


LET IT BE RESOLVED, that ASUCI will further examine its assets and UC assets for investments in companies that a) provide military support for, or weaponry to, support the occupation of the Palestinian territory or b) facilitate the building or maintenance of the illegal wall or the demolition of Palestinian homes, or c) facilitate the building, maintenance, or economic development of illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory;

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED, that we call upon, our university, the University of California Treasury, and the UCI Foundation to divest their holdings from these aforementioned companies;

LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED, that if its found that UCI funds or UC funds are being invested in any of the above mentioned companies, UCI will divest, and will advocate that the UC system divests, all stocks and securities of such companies with the goal of maintaining the divestment, in the case of said companies, until they cease these specific practices. Moreover, UCI will not make further investments, and will advocate that the UC system not make further investments, in any companies materially supporting or profiting from Israel’s occupation in the above-mentioned ways;

LET IT FINALLY BE RESOLVED, that we, the students, call upon our university to dissociate itself from groups or companies that promote systematic prejudiced oppression, whether this system targets people based on their religion, gender, race or orientation, by divesting from companies that participate in or profit from human rights violations.

 Referred to:Committee on:Vote Required: Two-ThirdsFINAL VOTE: Passed YEA: 16 NAY: 0  ABS: 0 THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OFCALIFONIA, IRVINE ON THE DATE OF  HAS TAKEN ACTION ON THIS LEGISLATION.      _________________________________________________________Executive Vice President, ASUCI     Verification of Executive Cabinet

http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/14/uc-irvine-student-senate-resolves-to-divest-from-israel/

As if Israel is the problem in the region. Here is the reaction from the Orange County Independent Task Force on Anti-Semitism with a video of the vote.

And last but not least, the unindicted co-conspirators at CAIR have congratulated the students for their action.

Greater Los Angeles Area November 14, 2012   
CAIR-LA Congratulates UC Irvine Students On Passing Divestment Resolution 
  
 
(ANAHEIM - 11/14/12) --The Council on American-Islamic Relations Greater Los 
Angeles Chapter congratulates a diverse coalition of student groups and leaders 
at the University of California Irvine for passing legislation urging the 
university to divest from companies that assist the Israeli military in its 
occupation of Palestine.   
  
Last night, more than 100 students from various campus groups celebrated after 
UCI's student government unanimously voted in favor of the resolution.   
  
SEE: UCI Students Vote to Divest From Israel     
  
SEE: UC Irvine Student Leaders Urge UC to Divest From Some Companies 
  
"CAIR-LA congratulates UCI students for their proactive and courageous efforts 
to advocate for justice, even after their university had 11 students arrested 
and unjustly punished last year for exercising their right to freedom of speech 
in front of Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren," said CAIR-LA Executive Director 
Hussam Ayloush. 
     
 -END- 

The only thing missing is a telegram from Hamas.
 

What idiocy reigns supreme on our university campuses. However, before we blame the students themselves, we should point the finger of blame at the adults who are responsible for educating them.