Demand the University of Maryland Reject Hate

The University of Maryland Student Government Association just passed yet another antisemitic proposal demanding the university divest its endowment from companies that do business with Israel.

Demand that the University System of Maryland Foundation (which manages the endowment) reject this antisemitic resolution.

To members of the USM Foundation and the University of Maryland administration:

The University of Maryland Student Government Association (SGA) just passed yet another antisemitic resolution demanding the university divest its endowment from companies that do business with Israel. This resolution is part of a repeating pattern of SGA actions targeting Israel, and, by extension, many Jewish students who view Israel as central to their identity.

Last semester, the SGA passed an antisemitic boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) resolution targeting Israel, the world’s only Jewish state. The SGA vote took place on Yom Kippur, precluding many Jewish students from participating in the discussion. SGA also endorsed a heinous resolution demanding that the university prohibit former IDF soldiers from speaking on campus. These resolutions contribute to an escalating pattern of exclusion directed at Jewish students.

While no action has been taken in response to these resolutions, the university's failure to issue a clear, public condemnation creates the impression that antisemitism is tolerated at UMD. Your continued silence only emboldens SGA to further ostracize Jewish students.

BDS activity on college campuses has been linked to an increase in antisemitic activity on campus and only inflames tensions in already dangerous environments for Jewish students. Failing to clearly reject this resolution will only lead to increased hostility toward Jewish students on campus, potentially putting federal funding at risk. Furthermore, adopting BDS would conflict with Maryland’s anti-BDS law and jeopardize the University’s receipt of state funding.

I urge the USM Foundation to publicly reject SGA’s hateful demands to divest the university’s endowment from companies that do business with Israel. Furthermore, I call on the administration to publicly condemn antisemitism from the SGA and to take action to ensure Jewish students feel safe and welcome on campus.

Signed,
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