GW student senate refuses to censure anti-Semitic senator, approves anti-Israel resolution

Original resolution didn’t even recognize Israel as a state

George Washington University’s administration is dealing with a new unwanted headache: a student senate that publicly opposes Israel and tolerates anti-Semitism by a senator.

The Student Association Senate approved a resolution last night calling for divestment from “nine companies that sell weapons and other services to the Israeli government, allegedly contributing to Palestinian oppression,” The GW Hatchet reports.

Sixty percent of senators voted for the resolution, while 20 percent each voted against or abstained. Last year’s resolution failed by a single vote. Part of the impetus for the resolution is to force GW to disclose its investments; the sponsor said the university uses “a third-party group to make investment decisions.”

The original resolution didn’t even recognize Israel as a state; that was added during a private executive session where senators voted by secret ballot.

The vote was originally scheduled for last week’s meeting but was canceled over security fears; pro-Palestinian students held a sit-in to protest the cancellation.

GW President Thomas LeBlanc immediately refused to “implement” the resolution, saying the university has “hosted a range of programming, representing a wide variety of viewpoints and ideas. … I encourage the GW community to foster an inclusive environment and to continue to engage in open, respectful dialogue.”

“Dozens” of opponents of the resolution walked out of Monday night’s meeting after Chabad GW President Hannah Finkel said the senate failed to represent “me and my community,” according to the Hatchet:

“There is no reason why we have to sacrifice the protection of some students in order to get the protection of others,” she said. “This resolution can do both and don’t sell yourselves short by voting for this piece of shit.”

The senate took a break on the resolution to consider the censure of a senator, Brady Forrest, who ran for executive vice president in last month’s elections.

On the eve of elections, screenshots of Forrest’s old Facebook posts (below) were posted on Overheard at GW. They show him calling for a boycott of an event that included GW Hillel and the Jewish Student Association, and accusing JSA of hypocrisy for co-hosting an environmental event: “‘Israel’ is currently destroying the environment of Gaza, ‘Israel,’ and the West Bank.”

In order to censure Forrest – which would suspend him from office for up to a month – the senate needed two-thirds approval. It fell short by three votes, with 17 voting in favor, six against and six abstentions, just below the support for the anti-Israel resolution.

Students denounced the senators when they returned to finish consideration of the resolution, according to the Hatchet:

“I want you to look in the face of every single one of the students in this room and tell them that you did not vote to protect them when an anti-Semite who was supposedly a leader at this University spoke anti-Semetic rhetoric,” [former senator Joe Vogel] said. “Shame on you.”

Sydney Nelson, the SA’s executive vice president, said she was “frustrated” with the result of the censure hearing because the senate failed to hold each other accountable after an incident widely regarded as anti-Semitic.

“There are disagreements, there are differences in political views – but there’s also flat-out racism, discrimination and anti-Semitism,” she said.

The College Democrats joined pro-Israel groups to denounce the vote, saying the message the senate sent was “blatantly anti-Semitic comments are tolerated.” Forrest has not mentioned the vote on his Twitter page.

Former College Fix writer Jackson Richman posted video of the walkout that followed the failure to censure Forrest.

#GWU students against #BDSAtGWU walkout of Student Association session debating the resolution, disgusted the SA failed to censure anti-Semitic former SA leader Brady Forrest. (Via @jacksonrichman) pic.twitter.com/rd5PzvYzgX

— The National Discourse (@NatlDiscourse) April 24, 2018

In an email blast Tuesday, pro-Israel organization StandWithUs claimed that “nearly all” Jewish students walked out of the meeting after the censure failed, which “effectively allowed [Forrest] to vote on divestment against Israel.” It called his unearthed Facebook posts “racist” and said it would work with campus organizations to fight “hate at their campus.”