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UCSD Student Senate rejects Israel divestment second time
Roz Rothstein
By Roz Rothstein
SAN DIEGO–“How dare you silence us? Free, free Palestine! From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” shouted the UC San Diego [UCSD] divestment crowd as they stormed out of the student senate tonight, May 5, after their divestment bill was rejected yet again.
About 100 people attended Wedneday’s meeting, and around 30 people spoke for or against the proposal.
When they first introduced the divestment measure at last week’s student senate meeting, a marathon debate ensued. The resolution was dramatically amended and then sent to a committee composed of an equal number of proponents and opponents of the measure. They were tasked with finding a compromise resolution. That effort failed, and there was more debate on Wednesday night.
When pro-Israel students presented their views, the divestment group often snickered. One pro-Israel student said that “Our side was targeted, and we were defamed by the pro-divestment side. They were aggressive. It was tough to be in that room tonight.”
The pro-Israel students wore UCSD shirts and held signs that read, “Divestment Divides our Campus.” Adam Teitelbaum, a UCSD student, told me that “The pro-Israel students at UCSD stood strong tonight.”
After the senate heard all the statements, it voted to leave the divestment resolution in committee and to table it indefinitely.
The pro-Israel students are concerned because the senate is meeting again next week, and the divestment camp could come up with a new surprise to try once again to get some form of divestment passed.
But as of Wednesday night, divestment was rejected once again.
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Rothstein is CEO of StandWithUs, a nine year-old, international, non-profit Israel education organization that ensures that Israel’s side of the story is told on campuses and in other venues.
sdjewishworld 
Good vote. Why table it? Why not get rid of it?
I am a Jewish American veteran who remembers when Israel barely survived a war instituted by its Arab neighbors in 1948 in their effort to destroy Israel and its survivors from the European death camps. We need to continue to let the world know that Israel is the only country in the middle east (1) with a democracy that allows all of its citizens to vote; (2) where all of its citizens can own land (remember right after 1948 Jews were expelled from several Arab countries and forceed to relocate in Israel and Isreal absorbed them; (3) that supports women rights, women are full citizens in Israel, even Muslim women; (4) that allows gays to be free and to participate in the military (in some Muslim countries gays are put to death) and (5) that allows freedom of religion for all Christians, Muslims and Jews alike (including other religions such as the Baha’i, who are persecuted in Iran). Israel has more Nobel Peace prize winners, per capita, in the world and has more medical patents than any country its size. This is the true message about Israel.
The BDSers will be back. After all, what else to they have to do in life? Study? (lol) In the meantime, nice going, pro-Israel TRITONS.