“Following a nearly nine-hour discussion that began at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday evening and lasted into Thursday morning, ASUC senators have yet to reach a decision on whether or not they would uphold or override President Will Smelko’s March 24 veto of a controversial bill urging the student government and the UC to divest from two companies that have supplied Israel with materials for alleged war crimes. . . . After an initial 12-7-1 vote to uphold Smelko’s veto, the senate tabled the bill and will reconsider it next week.”

This Wednesday, UC Berkeley’s Student Senate will vote to override its President’s veto of a measure that calls for the University of California to divest from companies that profit from and enable Israel’s occupation of occupied Palestine. In a statement defending the veto, senate President Will Smelko — who had been inundated by e-mails opposing the meaure — cited the divisiveness of the proposal and that it would be unfair to single out Israel for divestment. Given that Israel is just one among many nations grossly violating the human rights of people under its control, why is it smart for activists to concentrate some of their activism on making Israel – rather than, for example, Iran, Sudan, Sri Lanka, or North Korea – stop its unjust, inhumane policies towards occupied Palestine?

The source of this post is www.Muzzlewatch.com, part of whose mission is “shining a light on incidents that involve pressure, intimidation, and outright censorship of critics of US-Israeli policy.” The post is about AIPAC’s political program for indoctrinating college campus leaders nationwide.

Tadamon, a Montreal-based collective that works in solidarity with struggles for self-determination, equality and justice in the Middle East, has spearheaded a call from Montreal artists to support the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israeli apartheid. The following is an open letter they released on February 25.