U Of Illinois student government president vetoes divestment resolution
The University of Illinois Union Building. Image by Raymond Cunningham/flickr
(JTA) — The president of the University of Illinois student government vetoed a resolution passed by the body last week that supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
At a cabinet meeting Sunday, Connor Josellis said the remarks made Wednesday evening during discussion of the resolution and in the aftermath of its passage “have made students feel unsafe and have fostered a climate of hate on this campus,” the Daily Illini student newspaper reported.
The university released a statement following the vote noting that the resolution was nonbinding and had no plans to act on it.
The 20-9 vote in favor of the resolution early Thursday morning followed a five-hour meeting of the student government on the Urbana-Champaign campus. There were seven abstentions.
The resolution, which had 22 sponsors, calls on the university to divest from “companies that profit from human-rights violations in Palestine and other communities globally.” It names three companies that do business in Israel: Raytheon, Elbit Systems Ltd. and Northrup Grumman.
An amendment removing references to Israel lost in a 22-11 vote with six abstentions.
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