A trustee of Brown University, a member of the prestigious Ivy League, has resigned over the board’s decision to hold a vote on divesting from Israel. This decision was part of an agreement made with pro-Palestinian students who had previously disrupted campus life in the spring. According to Breitbart News, Brown succumbed to the protesters’ demands, agreeing to hold a vote on divestment in October, in exchange for the students voluntarily dismantling their “encampment.” This marked the first instance of a university considering divesting from companies that do business with Israel – a core demand of the antisemitic “boycott, divestment, sanctions” (BDS) movement, which specifically targets the Jewish state.
In December, 41 anti-Israel activists were arrested after occupying an administration building on campus. In April, activists took over a well-known area of Brown University called the Main Green, raising concerns among local Jewish leaders and clergy. Some chants used by activists both on and off campus were deemed antisemitic, with protesters calling for the elimination of Israel. Instead of enforcing university policies, Brown – like Northwestern University – decided to capitulate to the mob.
While campus rabbis expressed relief that the encampment was being dismantled, other local Jewish groups reacted in alarm. Rabbi Ron Fish of the Anti-Defamation League’s New England chapter accused Brown of “validating a movement rife with antisemitism and hate.” Noting that Brown had opposed divestment in the past, he stated that Brown’s deal would create incentives for more radical protest and “antisemitic harassment” of Jews.
On Monday, portions of a resignation letter by Brown trustee Joseph Edelman were published as an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. In his letter, Edelman expressed disbelief that holding a divestment vote was even considered, let alone scheduled to take place. He emphasized that Israel has a moral duty to defend its citizens from terrorist attacks and criticized Brown’s decision to hold a vote on divestment as a “failure of moral leadership.
Edelman announced his resignation from the board of trustees in light of the university’s decision, stating that he was unwilling to lend his name or time to a body that lacked basic moral judgment. He criticized Brown for choosing to reward, rather than punish, activists who disrupted campus life and promoted violence and antisemitism at Brown University.
Some universities refused to give in to protesters’ demands, and the protesters agreed to disband their encampments anyway; others confronted the protesters. Unfortunately, a few institutions, like Brown, chose to capitulate to the antisemitic mob.