King’s College students pass boycott Israel motion

King’s College London Students Union passed a motion Tuesday to back the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions campaign, which urges international companies to suspended economic cooperation with Israeli entities in protest of Israeli policies and operations in the West Bank and Gaza.

“KCLSU officially endorses the 2005 Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions of Israel until it abides by international law and ends it illegal occupation of Palestine,” the motion read, adding that a similar mission statement bearing the same words would from now on be displayed at all KCLSU student centers.

“KCLSU is proud to follow the example of a similar call in the 1980’s, which successfully led to the end of apartheid in South Africa.”

The motion, which passed with 348 out of the overall 600 votes, urges KCLSU members to put pressure on King’s College officials and call on them to “divest from Israel and from companies directly or indirectly supporting the Israeli occupation and apartheid policies.”

Shortly after the motion was passed, King’s College clarified in a statement that the university’s administration itself does not support the motion, and that the KCLSU is “constitutionally separate from, and independent of, King’s College London.”