(JTA) — Thousands of Barnard College alumni have called on the New York school to reject a student referendum asking the administration to divest from eight companies doing business with Israel. The student council will vote Monday whether to accept the results of the referendum and formally ask the Barnard Board of Trustees to divest from the companies.
Two college trustees joined about 2,000 signers of an alumni association petition, saying they are “deeply disappointed with the actions of the Barnard Student Government Association (SGA) regarding the recent divestment referendum. By presenting a nuanced and complex issue as one sided and simple, it has biased the student body and failed in its duty to act as a neutral arbiter." The petition calls the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel “hateful".