We are writing to you today as a unified Binghamton campus community in regards to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution that is being introduced to the Student Association (SA) on Tuesday. April 16th. The resolution calls on the university to officially align itself with the antisemitic BDS Movement. This resolution is problematic for a variety of reasons, and cannot be allowed to pass at Binghamton. 

The BDS Movement is immensely harmful to the Binghamton campus community. It is extremely divisive and politically charged, forcing students to “take a side” in a foreign conflict on which they may not be well educated. As evidenced by the strong emotions and opinions on both sides of this issue, BDS is divisive and controversial. The point of the SA is not to divide the student body, but to unite them. Passing this resolution is antithetical to that intrinsic value. 

Historically, BDS resolutions and referendums have resulted in increased instances of antisemitism and hostility on college campuses across America. Institutions that have passed these pieces of legislation have seen the largest year-over-year increases in antisemitic incidents, as compared to schools that have not passed such legislation. We expect that if this resolution passes, there will be a significant spike in antisemitism on Binghamton’s campus. Just last month during a BDS referendum at Rutgers, a Jewish student was harassed and doxxed in their own dormitory as a “Vote Yes to Divest” tactic. At UC Davis, swastikas were drawn on campus while a BDS resolution was being voted on. At Emory, a visibly Jewish student was physically assaulted outside of the Chabad house during a BDS vote. These are only a few examples. It is evident that BDS creates a more hostile campus climate. If the SA passes this resolution, not only will they enable that hostile campus climate, but they will actively contribute to it.  

Moreover, the BDS Movement is deeply antisemitic, as it claims to use economic means to put pressure on Israel to “end the occupation”, but in actuality their goal is the elimination of Israel as a Jewish State. BDS does not target any other countries for their wrongdoings, holding Israel to an antisemitic double standard. BDS delegitimizes the State of Israel’s existence by claiming that it is an illegitimate state. It does not make this claim of any other state, thereby singling out the Jewish state. If the only state whose legitimacy is called into question is the Jewish state, that is antisemitic. BDS also ignores the fact that Israel is the indigenous homeland of the Jewish people, as has been proven by historical, archaeological, and genetic evidence. This fact is absolutely essential to understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, so ignoring it is a sad and desperate attempt to rewrite history. As a movement, BDS demonizes Israel and Israelis as a whole by placing all of the blame for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict on them. To blame only one party for a 76-year long conflict is unfair and is an example of historical revisionism. A 76-year long conflict cannot only be perpetrated by one side; it takes two, and the BDS Movement’s intentional ignorance of this basic fact is malicious and antisemitic.

Binghamton has one of the most prominent and most active populations of Jewish college students in the country. The fact that the Binghamton Jewish community was not consulted regarding this resolution is clear evidence that it was not brought in good faith and is therefore dishonest. We call on you, members of the Student Association, to vote no on this harmful and dangerous piece of legislation. As elected officials, it is your job to represent all Binghamton students, including the Jewish ones. We therefore beg you to not entertain this appalling resolution.