CUNY students reject International Definition of Antisemitism but also reject alternative resolution which claimed equating opposition to Israel with antisemitism is “anti-Palestinian racism”

Students at a New York college rejected the prospective adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism.

At the end of a contentious five-hour debate, however, the Student Senate of the City University of New York (CUNY) also rejected a resolution which asserted that equating opposition to Israel with antisemitism was “a form of anti-Palestinian racism.”

This latter resolution calling for an alternative definition of antisemitism was promoted by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA). This resolution defined antisemitism as “hostility, prejudice, vilification, discrimination or violence” against Jews, but it also claimed that equating “speech and activity opposing Israel and Zionism and/or supporting Palestinians as inherently antisemitic” was a “form of anti-Palestinian racism.”

Roz Rothstein, the co-founder and CEO of StandWithUs, said that while she was disappointed by the rejection of the Definition, her organisation was “relieved that a definition that was crafted by members of Students for Justice in Palestine, to shield themselves from being criticised for promoting antisemitism,” was also voted down.

Ms Rothstein praised Jewish students for “standing up to such malicious bigotry” and for creating an online petition that had “thousands of signatures in favour of the [D]efinition.” She added that CUNY could “still do the right thing by supporting the majority of Jewish students and recognising the {D]efinition.”

Kenneth Marcus, a former professor at CUNY and now head of the Louis Brandeis Centre, said that he was “saddened” by “such profound misunderstanding” being spread among students and faculty. “CUNY’s unique dedication to social justice advocacy should translate into strong support for the global campaign against contemporary antisemitism,” he said.

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