Exclusive Interview: SUNY BDS pushes for system-wide boycott of Israel over genocide in Gaza

SUNY BDS speaks about their goals and responses to the criticism surrounding the SUNY-wide boycott of Israel (Photo courtesy of SUNY BDS).

In the wake of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a wave of protests has erupted on college campuses throughout the United States, with students demanding their institutions sever all ties with Israel. Last week, I spoke with one of the spokespersons of the State Universities at New York Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (SUNY BDS) Steering Committee, a movement advocating for a SUNY-wide boycott of Israel, to discuss their goals and responses to criticism surrounding the movement. Below is our conversation:

Syed Zahoor Raza (SZR): “Thank you very much for your time. Can you please introduce SUNY BDS to The Lamron’s readers and tell me more about its goals?”

SUNY BDS: “We are the SUNY BDS Steering Committee. We are the central organizing committee of SUNY BDS with undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, and alumni representing several schools, including the three largest SUNY campuses. Our goal is to develop a SUNY-wide Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement that involves students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members at all 64 SUNY campuses. The BDS Movement is a peaceful response to Israel’s oppression of Palestinians through occupation, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing. Its aim is to pressure Israel to (1) end occupation and colonization of Palestinian and Arab land and remove the separation wall, (2) grant full equality to Palestinians living in Israel, and (3) allow the right of return of Palestinian refugees as granted in UN Resolution 194. This movement began in 2005 in response to a call by 170 Palestinian civil society organizations and has never been more pressing than today, as Israel commits what amounts to genocide in Gaza. Through this coalition, we will work toward a variety of goals, including ending recruitment to major weapons manufacturing companies, divesting endowments and pensions from funds that support Israel, and implementing a boycott of Israeli cultural and academic institutions and organizations that profit from and perpetrate the genocide.”

SZR: “Among the SUNY campuses, we have seen protests organized by students from Binghamton University, Fashion Institute of Technology, Stony Brook University, and SUNY Albany.  However, with SUNY consisting of 64 campuses in total, how do you plan to involve the remaining SUNY campuses in this movement?”

SUNY BDS: “Although the protests at these schools have garnered the most attention due to their size and location, there have been protests at other schools, including SUNY Purchase and SUNY Oswego. We are currently in touch with people on 54 SUNY campuses. SUNY BDS brings organizers from across the SUNY system together to share strategies and find community. Each campus has its own unique challenges, and for many of the smaller and more isolated campuses, this has to do with numbers. We are, however, working to connect people both within and across campuses.”

SZR: “Have you seen any pushback from the SUNY administration? If so, how have you addressed these challenges?”

SUNY BDS: “Other than a cease-and-desist from SUNY for using their name, we have received little attention from SUNY. We are hoping to change that as we grow as a movement, demanding boycott and divestment not just on individual campuses, but in the SUNY system as a whole. Pushback on individual campuses has been significant. SUNY BDS, however, provides a way for organizers to connect and get the support they need to counter this pushback.”

SZR: “The students involved in the protests have faced arrests and threats of suspension. Several legal experts have argued that these arrests and threats against student protesters violate their constitutional rights to free speech and assembly. How does SUNY BDS plan to address these civil liberties concerns?”

SUNY BDS: “The SUNY BDS Steering Committee does not have any legal experts. We do, however, help connect all of our student protesters with the proper legal experts to ensure the protection of their rights to free speech and assembly.”

SZR: “How does SUNY BDS respond to allegations that its activities target Jewish students and faculty on SUNY campuses, and how do you respond to claims that the BDS movement is anti-Semitic?”

SUNY BDS: “The mission statement of the BDS Movement promotes the principles of freedom, justice, and equality and recognizes the importance of these values to facilitate an open and free society. In line with this mission, the BDS Movement and SUNY BDS explicitly condemn all forms of hatred and discrimination, including antisemitism, distinguishing between the state of Israel and the Jewish community. The conflation of anti-Zionism and antisemitism is employed to delegitimize and undermine the Palestinian cause.” 

SZR: “Columbia Business School’s professor Shai Davidai tweeted that he was barred entry from campus, and the Yale Free Press' editor-in-chief, Sahar Tartak, tweeted that one of the student protestors jabbed her eye with his flag. What steps have you taken to ensure that SUNY BDS’ activism remains inclusive?”

SUNY BDS: “As stated in the previous question, SUNY BDS is against the racist ideology of Zionism, not against Judaism or Jews. We encourage reporters and administrators to take a closer look at these protests, including ours at SUNY, and see how they have brought Palestinians, Jews, Arabs, Muslims, and people of all ethnicities and religions together in meaningful dialogue and action.” 

SZR: “Many students who aren't affiliated with the protests say that this is impeding them from using spaces on the campus and is impacting their ability to prepare for finals. What does the academic atmosphere look like right now on SUNY campuses where the protests are taking place, and how do you respond to criticisms that the protests disrupt the academic environment and infringe on the rights of other students?”

SUNY BDS: “This is a historic moment for student organizing, with the US not seeing anti-war protests this large since the Vietnam War. To not participate is to fall on the wrong side of history. We encourage these students to ask themselves why they are not speaking out against one of the most brutal genocides in human history. Additionally, this is an opportunity for students to take advantage of the university as a community to learn from each other and grow. If students decide, however, not to participate, the protestors aren’t harassing non-participants. They are welcome to pass through and go to classes or the library. Finally, the SUNY administration could easily put an end to these protests by engaging with us in the conversation of divestment, something it has done in the past with South African apartheid and other US universities that have already started to do with Israel, and is thus a reasonable request. We also implore SUNY administrators to stop their violent suppression of protests with police and arrests. This further escalates what is peaceful and provides more disturbance to the school, including to non-participating students.”

SZR: “Looking ahead, are there any plans in place to engage students who may not be aware of or are not involved in the protests right now?”

SUNY BDS: “We are always welcoming new students into the movement. This is mostly done at a campus level. Anyone who signs our statement is contacted, and we begin to work with them to see where they best fit in. Also, we will have a political education reading group this summer that will consist of undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, and alumni from across the SUNY system. It will be a good way to engage new students who want to join the movement but aren’t sure how. If you have signed our statement or followed any of our social media accounts, you will receive the details.”