Opinion

Divestment not for UW System

Josh Moskowitz
Also by Josh Moskowitz:
Sharing Tools:

E-mail this article:




Share on:

by Josh Moskowitz
Thursday, February 24, 2005 00:00

In just a few short weeks, the political climate in Israel has drastically changed. One needs to look no further for proof than by scrutinizing the actions of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. Sharon recently released 500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody and won cabinet approval to withdraw Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip, paving the way for the future establishment of a Palestinian state. Recently elected, Abbas ran a campaign based on non-violence and has managed to quell hostile activity perpetrated by terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Yet in light of these sanguine developments, anti-Israel rhetoric and activity continues to plague college campuses, including University of Wisconsin institutions.

Recently, a small but vocal group of students on this campus have visited UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville hoping to convince faculty senate members to vote for a resolution that would force the UW System’s Board of Regents to divest from companies that conduct business with Israel.

This divestment plan specifically calls for the board to “divest from Caterpillar, General Dynamics, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Northrop-Grumman and Raytheon based on evidence of the active role these companies play in enabling Israeli forces to engage in practices that violate international law and the human rights of the Palestinian people.”

While the resolution may have passed at UW-Platteville, a school of 5,800, it did so by the smallest of margins: 7-6.

And while there certainly is cause for concern that UW-Platteville’s faculty government could become the first in the nation to call for divestment of university funds from Israel, words from the UW Board of Regents president and action taken by UW-Whitewater faculty senate members make it very clear that divestment has no legitimate place in other UW institutions.

“We don’t divest on a political basis,” Board of Regents President Toby Marcovich recently said. “We do it if there are true human rights violations.” The divestment from Israel campaign “was not convincing” to the regents, according to Marcovich.

At UW-Whitewater, freshman Molly Fields, publicity chair of the Jewish Student Organization, courageously appeared before members of the faculty senate and flat-out told them that divestment was designed to “dehumanize, demoralize and delegitimize” the state of Israel. After listening to her message and the words of Jewish faculty members, the faculty senate voted to defeat the resolution plan.

At first glance, it is interesting to note that members of the Madison community who have initiated this divestment plan have traveled to institutions of higher learning with little Jewish representation. It is certainly quite feasible that they expected the embrace of liberal-minded professors and little, if any, dissent from members of the community because Jews are such a small minority on these campuses. Without any formal counter-representation, they could propagandize to their heart’s content.

At second glance, it is reassuring to note that the UW Board of Regents and the faculty senate of UW-Whitewater have realized what divestment really is: an inappropriate and outlandish campaign that wrongfully attacks and demonizes the state of Israel.

The divestment campaign in South Africa was appropriate and legitimate because it garnered international recognition of apartheid, an internal system of exploitation and segregation forced upon a black majority by a white minority. Divestment legitimately targeted corporations that profited from this egregious situation. While some have argued that Israel is conducting apartheid policies against the Palestinian people and Arab-Israeli citizens, this comparison is absurd. Arab-Israeli citizens retain the same civil and political rights that any Jew possesses in Israel, with the ability to vote in elections and serve their constituents as elected officials. And while many Palestinians have faced personal hardships since the second intifada began, many have also contributed to the recent cycle of violence that has destroyed the development and maturation of any peace negotiation.

While a select few in our student body have focused on directing their energies towards perpetuating anti-Israel rhetoric and sentiment throughout the state, it is reassuring to know that their fallacious claims have largely gone unheeded. With the implications for peace between Israelis and Palestinians gaining ground every day, now is the time to urge universities across the country to invest in peace.

Universities should begin to invest in joint Israeli-Palestinian business enterprises, spurring economic growth and participation in the region. Now is the time to focus on the positive and refrain from giving any credence to anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic movements.

Josh Moskowitz (jmoskowitz@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in political science and journalism.


Feedback
Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 8:06am):

The fact that these anti-Israeli protestors who want divestment are targeting campuses with small Jewish populations are all the proof in the world that Madison Liberals are Nazi pigs. How else can it be said?

Leaning on Israel while the Arab world still calls for the destruction of the Jewish state never made any sense. It's doubtful that it ever will. Maybe when these morons with a one-sided view finally flunk out of school and try to explain it to potential employers they'll have some kind of excuse: "Oh, I wasted all my valuable study time on meaningless protests against Israel, among other things. Hey, all my friends did it! I mean, not that it actually accomplished anything positive, but there was this really hot-lookin' punker chick that was gonna be there and, like, I totally wanted to get into her..."

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 8:16am):

To the previous poster, your second paragraph is right on, but your first is irresponsible. What do the actions of Madison liberals have to do with what happens on other campuses? I'm a Madison liberal, and I resent you calling me a Nazi. I'm a big supporter of Israel and have repeatedly called the pro-divestment crowd racists because they excuse or ignore Palestinian terrorism and lean on Israel while the Arab world calls for their destruction. I think if you actually talked to Madison liberals, you'd find out that most of them agree with me. It's unfortunate that the obnoxious vocal minority of local liberals fail to understand that true liberalism requires sympathy not for terrorists but for their victims.

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 10:03am):

excellent article

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 1:54pm):

This is not about Pro-Israel vs. Anti-Israel sentiments. This is about anti-Occupation. Israel's occupation of the WB, Gaza and East Jerusalem is deplorable. Every so called 'peace process' - be it Oslo, Camp David and the recent Sharm El-Summit was/is about normalizing the Occupation and not ending it.

Divestment from companies whose products directly impact the ongoing brutality of the Occupation must be upheld. Israel can continue its Occupation from the billions of dollars it receives in aid from the US Government and Companies alike. When this plug is pulled out, the cost of the Occupation will not be sustainable by Israel. Hence, it is important that we take in to consideration this economic factor and raise consciousness about socially responsible investing through Divestment.

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 1:55pm):

This is not about Pro-Israel vs. Anti-Israel sentiments. This is about anti-Occupation. Israel's occupation of the WB, Gaza and East Jerusalem is deplorable. Every so called 'peace process' - be it Oslo, Camp David and the recent Sharm El-Summit was/is about normalizing the Occupation and not ending it.

Divestment from companies whose products directly impact the ongoing brutality of the Occupation must be upheld. Israel can continue its Occupation from the billions of dollars it receives in aid from the US Government and Companies alike. When this plug is pulled out, the cost of the Occupation will not be sustainable by Israel. Hence, it is important that we take in to consideration this economic factor and raise consciousness about socially responsible investing through Divestment.

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 1:56pm):

This is not about Pro-Israel vs. Anti-Israel sentiments. This is about anti-Occupation. Israel's occupation of the WB, Gaza and East Jerusalem is deplorable. Every so called 'peace process' - be it Oslo, Camp David and the recent Sharm El-Summit was/is about normalizing the Occupation and not ending it.

Divestment from companies whose products directly impact the ongoing brutality of the Occupation must be upheld. Israel can continue its Occupation from the billions of dollars it receives in aid from the US Government and Companies alike. When this plug is pulled out, the cost of the Occupation will not be sustainable by Israel. Hence, it is important that we take in to consideration this economic factor and raise consciousness about socially responsible investing through Divestment.

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 3:13pm):

"This is about anti-Occupation."

First of all, try posting only once. We don't want to see your drivel three times.

Secondly, if it truly is about "anti-Occupation," why don't you also protest Syria's 23 year occupation of Lebanon? China's occupation of Tibet? The occupation by either India or Pakistan (depending on your point of view) of Kashmir? The occupation of Kurdistan by Turkey? The occupation of Armenia by Turkey? The occupation of Ivory Coast by France? The occupation of Euskady by France and Spain?

As for divestment, aren't you being hypocritical by calling for the university to divest from Israel when you constantly use products using Israeli technology? You'd have to get rid of your cell phone. And your iPod. And your computer. And your pager. And your CD player. And your DVD player. Probably your stereo too. And let's not even start with medical technology -- there are so many vaccines and drugs you wouldn't be able to use, you'd probably be dead by now.

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 4:31pm):

"I'm a Madison liberal, and I resent you calling me a Nazi."

Screw ya! Get used to it! Nazi. Nazi, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi! Nazi boy! Nazi Buttface! Hee-hee!

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 5:27pm):

AAAAAAAAAGH! That mean pro-Israeli poster is calling me Nazi boy! Waaaaaah! I'm going to cry! Make him stop! Make him stop now or Ishall hold my breath! I'm serious! I'm not kidding! Okay, you asked for it! Here I go! This is it! You had your chance to stop me and now it's too late! umph...

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 6:43pm):

Israel deserves protection because Eastern Europeans and many other people in the Middle East hate Jews. Period. Sorry to all those people who hang out at the Catacombs that your dumb suburban lives did not clue you into the fact that life is not one big Rainbow Preschool Sing-along.

I have a partially Arabic background and Arab people spout Zionist conspiracy crap all the time. A lot of the left here thinks just because you are Brown, you are oppressed. Oh, yeah, don't forget all the anti-semetic stuff that was spouted by the left at the turn of the century, too. Oh, and don't forget all the privilaged, delusional self-hating Jews who think anti-semitism won't hurt them.

If you aren't white, any Arab will tell you that New York constantly gets hit by terrorist attacks and that the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center because they thought there were a lot of Jews there. Period.

Jews have gotten the shit end of the stick for centuries and deserve protection from back-asswards cultures.

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 6:47pm):

Thank-you for this level-headed article..I am appreciative for your pont of view

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 6:47pm):

The ceasefire sounds good on paper but Palestinian land is still being confiscated, Palestinians are still being shot, and the illegal settlements in the West Bank are being built more rapidly than ever. To the above poster: Euskady was probably not the comparison you were looking for.

Josh Moskowitz seems to consider Gaza a legitimate state - at 365km2 and already the most overpopulated place on earth, it will be a wonderful place to live when the millions of still-refugees return.

Israel declares itself a Jewish state for a Jewish people, and only Jews can buy land in it. Liberal-minded intellectuals have already been 'propagandized' into believing that ethnically defined states are wrong.

addiealex@aol.com (February 24, 2005 @ 6:52pm):

Thank-you for this level-headed article..I am appreciative for your pont of view

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 6:59pm):

So Jews achieve 'protection' by creating millions of Palestinian refugees?! I hate to tell you this, but Israel isn't big enough for every Jew in the world and not all Jews want to go there. Racism is a huge problem, and needs to be fought. But not by sending all the Jews to the Middle East.

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 7:11pm):

...still holding my breath...

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 7:50pm):

Hey, does anyone know what happened to this dude passed out in a chair in the computer lab? He's slumped over with his head on top of the keyboard. I saw this web page on the screen, so I was wondering if anybody knew what happened. The last thing he typed was "...still holding my breath..."

Uh, never mind. I found his pacifier lying on the floor. Pacifier + "still holding my breath" = the obvious.

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 9:32pm):

Shut up! Don't listen to him, people. That was not my pacifier on the floor. He planted it there!

My god, my life was in peril! And this pro-Israel neanderthal is making jokes! What if it were your own child holding his breath?! Or your own mother?! Or...what if it was you?! Think it would be funny then? Huh? Huh?!

Anonymous (February 24, 2005 @ 11:39pm):

C'mon, there must be some Madison liberal bad-asses who wanna respond. Let's hear it! You gotta have something better to do than stayin' up all night humpin' an inflatable love doll. C'mon!

Anonymous (February 25, 2005 @ 12:01am):

"Israel declares itself a Jewish state for a Jewish people, and only Jews can buy land in it. Liberal-minded intellectuals have already been 'propagandized' into believing that ethnically defined states are wrong."

So you declare fealty for a Palestinian state? When the Palestinians are already driving Christians out of Bethlehem and other traditionally Christian towns, with violence and intimidation? And when they proclaim to all the world that Jews won't be welcome? Israel might not be perfect, but replacing it with an even more discriminatory regime doesn't ameliorate any of the concerns you mentioned; it only makes them worse.

Anonymous (February 25, 2005 @ 12:03am):

"Screw ya! Get used to it! Nazi. Nazi, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi! Nazi boy! Nazi Buttface! Hee-hee!"

You're worse than a Nazi, dumbass. You're a Nazi-loving Ohio State student!

Anonymous (February 25, 2005 @ 12:14am):

"You're worse than a Nazi, dumbass. You're a Nazi-loving Ohio State student!"

Nope, I'm a UW-Madison junior liberal who is fed up with Madison liberals who give liberals everywhere a bad name. Face it, Madison liberals suck, and someone's got to be here to counter your every attack.

Why did you think I was from Ohio State? What's there that bothers you so much?

Anonymous (February 25, 2005 @ 12:15am):

Dumb-ass, not dumbass, dumb-ass!

Anonymous (February 25, 2005 @ 3:56am):

They declare that Jews are not welcome because the settlements that are built to house them steal huge tracts of land, are situated over scarce aquifers and make it impossible for Palestinians to travel due to the network of 'Jewish only' roads between them.

Christians identify as Palestinians. Listen to them.

Anonymous (February 25, 2005 @ 9:24am):

I'd just have to say that pretty much everyone is being hypocritical. Take for example the United States...We invaded Iraq, based on some shitty evidence and out Predident's ego. We have thousands of troops still in Afghanistan rooting out terrorists, why? Because they attacked out homeland. So who are you all to say that Israel doesn't have the right to protect itself. We conquered The Golan, Gaza (and the Sinai), and the West Bank. Shit, we gave the Sinai back to Egypt, they didn't want Gaza. If I remember correctly, Jordan told the so called Palestinians to move from their cities, including Haifa, Tel Aviv, etc. before the '67 war. Why? Because the Arab nations promised them the homes and land of the Jews after they demolished Israel. Well they didn't, and as we can see, Jordan doesn't want the West Bank back either, we tried.

So before you start criticizing Israel for what they do, take a look around and realize that every other country pretty has done or would do the exact same thing. Keep in mind that there are no Arab countries in the world that want the Palestinians. The conflict will not end because these countried are not willing to break their only "tie" to Israel...the so-called "Palestinians".

Anonymous (February 25, 2005 @ 6:14pm):

another fine column josh

Anonymous (February 25, 2005 @ 8:06pm):

This subject is a highly emotional topic for those of whatever political persuasion. Mistakes have been made on both sides. But the author does highlight a very important development. The governments involved in this conflict see that something different must occur. It seems that the possibility of peace-though probably a long way off-is in the air. Hope is what liberalism is all about. And what makes what one hopes for is a change in attitudes, honesty, comprise and rolling up one's sleeves to do the work of making peace happen. Josh sees this too. Hopefully will those in the liberal community who have been zealous in their condemnations and actions. Supporting both sides in an endeavor that we all have wanted for so long makes the most sense. Josh's proposal at the end of the article is in the right spirit and reflects what liberalism is truly all about. Thank you, Josh.

Anonymous (March 16, 2005 @ 4:27pm):

Thanks for another great article Josh.
1. Question:
How is Israel occupying land? Yes the west bank was conquered from Jordan in 67, but Jordan gave up all claims to it about 20 years ago. The land of Israel has changed hands many times throughout history. But there never was a country called "Palestine". The name comes from the Roman name given to the land-"Palestina". The Romans did this about 2000 years ago after they exiled the Jews out of Israel so that the Jews would lose connection with their homeland.
2. Why are there Jewish roads? Are Jews so "racist" that they won't drive on the same road as other nations? Obviously if one were to take an honest look at the situation, one would see plainly that Jews have to build their own bypass roads, so that Palestinians don't shoot at and stone cars with Israeli license plates. The "Jewish-only" roads are a response to the conflict, and not a cause.

Gil

Anonymous (May 3, 2005 @ 1:26am):

Israel is obviously an Apartheid state.

This writer mindlessly parrots the claim that since "Israeli Arabs" can vote, it cannot be an Apartheid state. This is a simple trick. That means about one million Palestinians can vote. However, the 3.5 million living under Israeli rule in the territories cannot. Neither can the millions of dispersed refugees denied return by Israel. Reality is bit more complex than your comprehension allows, Josh.

Any open-minded person who travels there and spends time among Palestinians and Israeli Jews comes back with this obvious conclusion: a Jewish state in a religiously-diverse land is inherently problematic. We would not allow the US to declare itself as a white or even Christian state. This double standard must end.

How about a state for everyone living there plus the refugees forced from their homes when Israel was founded? Oh wait, that is "anti-semitic"... right!?!?

South Africans recognize the parallels aupporters of Israel choose to ignore.

As Desmond Tutu observed:

"Yesterday's South African township dwellers can tell you about today's life in the Occupied Territories. To travel only blocks in his own homeland, a grandfather waits on the whim of a teenage soldier. More than an emergency is needed to get to a hospital; less than a crime earns a trip to jail. The lucky ones have a permit to leave their squalor to work in Israel's cities, but their luck runs out when security closes all checkpoints, paralyzing an entire people. The indignities, dependence and anger are all too familiar."

http://www.counterpunch.org/tutu1017.html

Divestment is morally imperative. Israel's treatment of the Palestinians as disposable obstructions to their goal of a Jewish land must cease. This only harms everyone and writers like Josh let their ignorance fuel Israel's wrongs.

Anonymous (May 3, 2005 @ 1:29am):

Desmond Tutu knows about Apartheid in South Africa and Israel:

"Yesterday's South African township dwellers can tell you about today's life in the Occupied Territories. To travel only blocks in his own homeland, a grandfather waits on the whim of a teenage soldier. More than an emergency is needed to get to a hospital; less than a crime earns a trip to jail. The lucky ones have a permit to leave their squalor to work in Israel's cities, but their luck runs out when security closes all checkpoints, paralyzing an entire people. The indignities, dependence and anger are all too familiar."

http://www.counterpunch.org/tutu1017.html

Place a shout-out!
Top Classified Ads (view all)

Place your classified ad online and have it show up here. Your ad will hit thousands of viewers a day!

DON'T READ ME! Too late. If you're reading this, guess how many other people are reading it. See... advertising in The Badger Herald does work!

Place a classified ad

Advertising