Arizona State student government passes resolution to support Jewish students

The undergraduate student government of Arizona State University passes a resolution in support of the school’s Jewish students.

The resolution, which passed by acclamation, comes amid public discussion among campus student organizations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and in the wake of fliers bearing swastikas and Stars of David circulated on campus, The State Press student newspaper reports.

Last month, four pieces of legislation were submitted to the student government on the topic of the conflict. One called for divestment from companies involved in “human rights abuses,” including a number in Israel.

The resolutions have been postponed over what the student government said were errors in the documents.

The Resolution to Stand With Jewish Students at ASU notes the rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes as reported in the FBI’s annual Report on Hate Crimes, as well as the October 2018 attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

It says that ASU Jewish students “have expressed concerns over their own safety on campus to the administration and police force in light of recent events, specifically Nazi propaganda.”

The resolution also says the student government supports “all students in mutual civil dialogue and debate in an environment that is free from threat and intimidation,” and that it “does not support anti-Semitism, and stands by the Jewish community.”

Opponents of the resolution say it conflated anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel.

— JTA