U of T Scarborough students vote to eliminate funding from pro-Israel student clubs

“Kosher food brought to campus must come from an organization that does not support Israeli apartheid,” the motion read

https://mailchi.mp/hasbarafellowships/yom-haatzmaut-2022739?e=a62b1951e2

TORONTO  – Hasbara Fellowships Canada is demanding that the University of Toronto at Scarborough (UTSC) intervene after its student union (SCSU) voted to eliminate funding for student groups that support Israel.

At its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, Nov. 24, the SCSU passed its second motion in support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. A subsection of the original motion passed in 2013 now requires that any kosher food brought to campus must come from an organization that does not support “Israeli apartheid.”

The subsection states that if Jewish students cannot find such an organization, kosher food suppliers that support “Israeli apartheid” shall be granted exemptions.

According to the motion, the SCSU must also “refrain from engaging with organizations, services, or take part in events that further normalize Israeli apartheid.” The SCSU will now mandate that a “BDS List,” which must be “accessible” to all members, is aimed at blacklisting organizations that support the Jewish State.

Gabriela Rosenblum, a Hasbara Fellow at UTSC, harshly condemned the motion at last night’s AGM. “This BDS vote undoes all the critical work done by this student government,” she said. “This motion requires that Jews at UTSC prove that they are ‘good Jews’ in the eyes of the student government, distinct from the many ‘bad Jews’ who support Israel. This motion even defines antisemitism for the Jewish students on campus.”

She continued. “These are hurdles that exist for no other group. It is clear that this motion targets Jews for discrimination. Even for something as simple as ordering jelly donuts for Chanukah, Jewish students at SCSU will now be forced to prove that kosher caterers do not support their Jewish homeland, which is basically impossible.”

Daniel Koren, Executive Director of Hasbara Canada, echoed Gabriela’s sentiments. “This motion is a direct assault on Jewish students at UTSC and aims to hinder their ability to live a Jewish life,” he said. “Whether the SCSU likes it or not, Israel is an essential part of Jewish identity. They do not have the right to tell Jewish students how to practice Judaism on campus.”

For more than five years, Hasbara Canada’s legal task force has been at the forefront of using legal means to advocate for Jewish and pro-Israel students on Canadian campuses and we will continue to work to counteract this noxious and dangerous motion passed last night. If you are a lawyer and would like to be of assistance, please contact Daniel Koren at dkoren@hasbarafellowships.org.