SWC Commends UC Regents President's Reiteration of Israel Divestment Stand
July 22, 2010
The Simon Wiesenthal Center has commended leaders of the University of California Board of Regents for firmly opposing any suggestion that it divest from Israel. "We commend Chairman Russell Gould, Vice Chair Sherry Lansing, and UC President Mark G. Yudoff for their principled stance that makes it clear that they will not bring forward any recommendation to the Board that would ask it to divest from companies doing business with the State of Israel," said Simon Wiesenthal Center Campus Outreach Director Rabbi Aron Hier. In a July 13th letter to California State Senator Darrell Steinberg, legislators, diplomats, the SWC and community leaders, UC President Mark Yudof reiterated the University of California's position on divestment stating, "We will not bring forward any recommendation to the Board that would divest from companies doing business with the State of Israel." The previous statement on divestment had stated in part, "In the current resolutions voted on by the UC student organizations, the State of Israel and companies doing business with Israel have been the sole focus. This isolation of Israel among all countries of the world greatly disturbs us and is of grave concern to members of the Jewish community. [...] we will not bring a recommendation before the Board to divest from companies doing business with the State of Israel." "Several student organizations have fomented an anti-Semitic climate via these divestment campaigns. The Simon Wiesenthal Center will continue to monitor and counter these biased, one-sided and toxic campaigns," Rabbi Hier concluded. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino). For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter page or mobile device. |
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