Tell Brown University

This month, The Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies (ACCRIP) at Brown University  voted to endorse and participate in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign, an inherently anti-Semitic initiative born out of the Arab-League boycott of Israel, which sought to economically cripple Jewish businesses in the Arab-dominated region. BDS is nothing but a modern resurgence of this boycott, reframed to make Israel out to be an evil state.

The accusations of human rights violations are, of course, completely unfounded. Of all the countries in the world which hold disputed territories or are living through an ongoing conflict, Israel is the only one which is subjected to a targeted smear campaign.  In reality, the only crime Israel has committed is being the singular Jewish state. Embarrassingly, ACCRIP couldn’t even define “social harm” when asked by pro-Israel students.

In response to an initial student referendum in March, President Paxson said the following, “Brown’s endowment is not a political instrument to be used to express views on complex social and political issues, especially those over which thoughtful and intelligent people vehemently disagree.”

President Paxson should stand by her word and stop this overtly political and discriminatory proposal. College endowments are meant to fund education, not to be used as a weapon in political disputes.

SIGN THE PETITION  to urge President Paxson to do the right thing and reject BDS.