After weeks of debate about Israel and antisemitism, a student
body at Stanford University passed a resolution condemning bias against Jews.
The Undergraduate Senate of the Associated
Students of Stanford University passed the “Resolution to Recognize and to
Reaffirm the Fight against Antisemitism” on Tuesday in a unanimous vote.
Alongside classical manifestations of antisemitism
such as stereotypical speech about Jews, the resolution also lists
“demonization of Israel” and accusing it “of inventing or exaggerating the
Holocaust” as examples of antisemitism.
These passages in the draft resolution, which
several Jewish groups sponsored last month, prompted opposition by
pro-Palestinian groups citing potential restrictions on student activism and
academia.
The motion was debated four times before
passing. At one of the debates, on April 5, Gabriel Knight, a Stanford junior
on the senate, said that it was not antisemitic to claim Jews control the
media, economy, government and other social institutions. He later apologized
for his statement and said he would not seek reelection to the student
senate. A separate motion passed Tuesday condemned Knight’s
remarks, the Stanford Daily reported.
The text of the
resolution on antisemitism states that “the collective rights to
self-determination of the Jewish people are no different” than those of any
other people.
The resolution acknowledges that Jewish
students at Stanford have been victimized by antisemitic acts and speech,
including in the classroom, and it mandates annual antisemitism awareness
seminars presented in consultation with the Anti-Defamation League.
The Stanford Undergraduate Student Senate
will “provide funds to co-sponsor events on its discretion to aid the Jewish
community and other communities of Stanford,” reads the resolution.
