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Edinburgh Students Vote 62% for BDS

The Edinburgh University Students’ Association passed a motion backing a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions resolution against Israel.

The nonbinding motion passed Thursday by a vote of 249 to 153, with 22 abstentions, the London-based Jewish Chronicle reported.

It calls on the university “to target products, companies and institutions that profit from or are implicated in, the violation of Palestinian rights, resist any action that gives political or economic support to violations of international law by the State of Israel and complicit companies and mandate sabbatical officers to work with the Black and Minority Ethnic liberation group, as well as Edinburgh University Students for Justice in Palestine to lobby and campaign for the university to also commit to BDS,” the newspaper reported, citing documents provided by the Edinburgh University Students’ Association.

The motion also called for an academic boycott of Israel.

Edinburgh University’s Israel Engagement Society described the motion as “irresponsible” and “intolerant,” according to the newspaper.

The student association’s policy will apply for three years, after which another vote must be taken.

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