BDS

University President Lee Bollinger addressed the issue of divestment, the lack of financial aid for international and General Studies students, and his reflections on President Trump’s impeachment trial during his semesterly Fireside Chat on Thursday.

Columbia College Student Council will vote on whether to allow Columbia University Apartheid Divest’s referendum on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement in the upcoming election cycle next Sunday.

Alongside academic policy, food insecurity, and mental health reform, students have voiced one defining issue in the upcoming elections for the Columbia College Student Council: the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which calls for the University to divest from companies that “profit from or engage in the State of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.”

During the Barnard Student Government Association elections last April, SGA added a referendum to the ballot to gauge students’ support for divestment from companies that “profit from or engage in the State of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.”

Last Thursday, close to 40 protesters gathered on Low Steps for a protest organized by Students Supporting Israel, chanting, carrying signs, and shouting grievances with Columbia.

Barnard students have voted in favor of a referendum asking the Student Government Association to write a letter to the administration asking them to divest from eight companies that “profit from or engage in the State of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians,” SGA announced in an email to students on Wednesday.

A few weeks ago at the Barnard Student Government Association meeting, Columbia University Apartheid Divest asked SGA to compose a letter to Barnard’s administration recommending divestment from companies they believe negatively impact Palestinians in Israel. After the meeting, SGA voted to initiate a BDS referendum despite SGA President Angela Beam’s initial claim that “There will be no votes ... no decisions made tonight. This is purely discussion to further explore the issues.” Over 150 Barnard and Columbia students attended the meeting, which saw a clear majority opposed to CUAD’s request. In the words of Beam, “We’re super psyched to have such a crowd, this literally never happens.” The meeting lasted over an hour and only ended after SGA voted against lengthening the meeting and allowing more discourse on the contentious issue.

Barnard’s Student Government Association has asked students to vote on a referendum regarding whether SGA should ask the administration to divest from eight companies that profit from or engage in business with Israel, but pro-Israel students have criticized the voting process for unfairly excluding those who oppose the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement.

Representatives from Aryeh spoke in front of over 100 students at Barnard’s Student Government Association meeting, requesting that SGA refrain from using the word “apartheid” in its upcoming referendum on divestment from Israeli companies.