Fourth Estate/ Andani Munkaila
George Mason University Student Senate passes resolution supporting BDS movement with 21 votes in affirmation, and 3 votes in negation
BY ANDANI MUNKAILA, SOCIAL MEDIA AND GRAPHICS EDITOR
On April 11, 2024, the 44th Student Senate of George Mason University held their final meeting of the 2024 spring semester in Merten Hall, room 1231.
During the meeting, the Senate voted to pass Resolution #61, “a Resolution to Boycott and Divest from Israel and Corporations Complicit in the Ongoing Genocide and Apartheid in Palestine,” which was passed in a 21-3 secret ballot vote.
The resolution calls for the Mason student government to commit to “upholding BDS policies and practices in accordance with ethical and socially responsible spending procedures,” and to “collaborate with Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) such as Students for Justice in Palestine for further consultation and application of BDS policies internally.”
According to the BDS Movement, “Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.”
Prior to the meeting, Students For Justice in Palestine made an Instagram post encouraging students to support Resolution #61, resulting in a higher-than-usual turnout in the gallery. Attendees stood up or sat on the floor due to a limited amount of seating.
Various attendees held signs, flags, and posters with messages related to the resolution. A sign was hung over an entrance into the meeting room, reading “Your Silence Breeds Violence.”
Fourth Estate/ Andani Munkaila
Speaker Pro Tempore Bas Rawat, the resolution’s sponsor, spoke in support of the resolution, citing the largely pro-Palestine gallery. “Look around in this room. Have you ever seen it this full this past year? These students are here wanting to make change. Are you going to deny them that?”
Sen. Grace Martinez-Cora motioned for a secret ballot to decide on Resolution #61, explaining the senators would have an increased ability to be free in voicing their true opinions and prevent abstaining.
Sen. Jawad Hosseini spoke in opposition to the secret ballot, stating that “the student body has the right to know where their representatives stand.”
During the vote conducted by secret ballot, Speaker Scott Tatum requested that all cameras be aimed away from senators’ ballots, adding that failure to comply would result in removal from the chamber.
After the ballots were collected and tallied, Clerk Austin Emery announced the passing of Resolution #61, with 21 senators in affirmation and 3 in negation.
Following the announcement of the resolution’s passing, various gallery members applauded and cheered, chanting “free, free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea.”
Prior to the meeting, Bill #51, which was sponsored by Sens. Rawat and Fox, said “No funds shall be allocated to the purchase of products or services of any vendor identified by the BDS List as being complicit in the violation of human rights.” The paired Bill failed in the Administrative and Financial Affairs Committee before it could make it to the Senate floor.
The bill also requested that “the Chair of the Administrative and Financial Affairs Committee must ensure compliance and annually maintain and update the list with any changes to the list of restricted vendors.”
Both Resolution #61 and Bill #51 can be read below.
A Resolution to Boycott and Divest from Israel and Corporations Complicit in the Ongoing Genocide and Apartheid in Palestine
R. #61
44th STUDENT SENATE
2nd Session
IN THE STUDENT SENATE OF GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
April 4th, 2024
Sponsored by: Speaker Pro Tempore Rawat
Co-Sponsored by: Senator Fox
Resolution #61
Be it resolved by the Student Senate of George Mason University–
Whereas, Israel has strategically targeted and killed over 32,975 people with over 75,577 people being injured as of April 3rd, 2024. Within these figures more than 13,000 of the deaths and 8,000 of the injuries are children. 8,000 people remain missing, and;
Whereas, the International Court of Justice has decided, that “the facts and circumstances mentioned above are sufficient to conclude that at least some of the rights claimed by South Africa and for which it is seeking protection are plausible. This is the case with respect to the right of the Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts of genocide and related prohibited acts identified in Article III, and the right of South Africa to seek Israel’s compliance with the latter’s obligations under the Convention” and;
Whereas, the war crimes against Palestinians of all faiths have been well documented by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, B’Tselem, and others who have unequivocally denounced the long history of persecution faced by Palestinian civilians at the hands of the government of Israel labeling the systemic violence as genocide and systemic limitations of movement as apartheid, and;
Whereas, Registered Student Organizations on campus, such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), have called for University-wide boycotting, divestment, and sanctions within various funding sectors through peaceful movements such as protests, teach-ins, and sit-ins, and;
Whereas, a formalized structure titled Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions, or BDS, is a pre-existing movement created on a three-fold mission of ending occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the systemic barriers such as checkpoints, recognizing the fundamental rights of Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality, and Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194, and;
Whereas, UC Davis, UCLA, UC Riverside, and other Student Government or equally representative bodies have made commitments to implement BDS policies through bills and resolutions within their respective Student Government budget appropriations.
Whereas, BDS also acts as a manner of ethical and socially responsible spending that incentivizes Student Government to be more transparent on how funds from budgets can be used and appropriated in a manner that rejects spending money towards vendors that directly impact an ongoing genocide and apartheid in Gaza.
Therefore, be it resolved, that Student Government commits to upholding BDS policies and practices in accordance with ethical and socially responsible spending procedures.
Therefore, be it further resolved, that the Student Government of George Mason University urges all parties to implement an immediate ceasefire, return all hostages, and allow for the passage of humanitarian aid.
Therefore, be it finally resolved, that Student Government commits to working with Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) such as Students for Justice in Palestine to consult further and apply BDS policies internally in the most effective manner.
Passed the Student Senate: _______________
Attest:
Speaker: C. Scott Tatum
Clerk: Austin Emery
A Bill to Amend the Code of Student Governance
B. #51
44th STUDENT SENATE
2nd Session
IN THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT OF GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
April 4th, 2024
Sponsored by: Speaker Pro Tempore Rawat
Co-Sponsored by: Senator Fox
Be it enacted by the Student Senate of George Mason University –
A. That Title VII §105 of the Code of Student Governance be amended to read the following:
§ 105 Senate Spending Procedure
Any requests for funds must be submitted as a spending bill to the Student Senate and voted on in accordance with 2 CSG § 401, and shall always be referred to the Administrative and Financial Affairs Committee.
A. No funds shall be allocated to any external organization or event unless there is a cosponsorship opportunity;
B. An external organization is an organization, group, faculty, or staff member(s) affiliated with George Mason University, which is separate from the Student Government of George Mason University.
C. No funds shall be allocated to the purchase of products or services of any vendor identified by the BDS List as being complicit in the violation of the human rights guaranteed to Palestinian civilians under international law in spirit of Ethical and Socially Responsible spending;
D. The BDS List comprises of the following corporations:
a. Hewlett-Packard (HP)
b. Chevron
c. Siemens
d. PUMA
e. Carrefour
f. AXA
g. SodaStream
h. Ahava
i. Caltex
j. Texaco
k. RE/MAX
l. Elbit Systems
m. Intel
n. HD Hyundai
o. Volvo
p. Caterpillar Inc.
q. Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Limited (JCB)
r. Barclays
s. Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF)
t. HikVision
u. TKH Security
v. Sabra
w. WIX
x. Burger King
y. McDonald’s
z. Domino’s Pizza
aa. Papa John’s
bb. Pizza Hut
cc. Starbucks
dd. Airbnb
ee. Booking.com
ff. Expedia
gg. Disney
hh. Teva
E. The Chair of the Administrative and Financial Affairs Committee must ensure compliance and annually maintain and update the list with any changes to the list of restricted vendors.
Passed the Student Senate: ______________
Attest:
__________________________ _________________________
Speaker: C. Scott Tatum Clerk: Austin Emery
__________________________
President: Paul Wyche
