STUDENT SENATE RESOLUTION 2013-XXX TITLE: Resolution Condemning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement AUTHORS: Senator

Hadar Arazi, Chairman Davis Bean, Former Senator Sydney Kaplan, Former Senator Taylor Parker, and External Communications Director Avia Gridi SPONSORS: Student Body President Christina Bonarrigo, Senate President Cory Yeffet, Senator Corbin Emerson, Senator Bradley Bean, Senator Mitch Wilson,

WHEREAS, there are over 8,000 Jewish students at the University of Florida, the largest population of Jewish students at any single campus outside the State of Israel; and, WHEREAS, Israel and the United States face mutual ch allenges in the Middle East and as Israels ally it is important for the United States to continue to foster and enhance the strategic relationship between the US and Israel; and, WHEREAS, according to South African politician and BDS supporter Ronnie Kas rilss statement BDS represents three words that will help bring about the defeat of Zionist Israel and victory for Palestine, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) movement aims to cripple Israels economy with the goal of ultimately destroying the Jewish State; and, WHEREAS, according to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel founder Omar Bargoutis statement Good riddance! The two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is finally dead. But someone has to issue an official death certificate before the rotting corpse is given a proper burial and we can all move on and explore the more just, moral and therefore enduring alternative for peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs in Mandate Palestine: the one-state solution, this movement seeks the dismantlement of the state of Israel and calls for a one-state solution; and, WHEREAS, BDS calls for the eradication of all international monetary partnerships with the State of Israel as is stated on http://www.bdsmovement.net/call We, representatives of Palestinian civil society, call upon international civil society organizations and people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era. We appeal to you to pressure your respective states to impose embargoes and sanctions against Israel,; and, WHEREAS, BDS calls for divestment from PepsiCo, a partner of Strauss Group which is an Israeli food manufacture; such a divestment would have detrimental effects on the University of Floridas financial stability due to the fact that UF is a PepsiCo sponsored campus, and in order to fully divest from Israel would have to terminate all contracts with PepsiCo; and, WHEREAS, the University of Florida currently has 20 study abroad programs with eight different schools, including three exchange programs, in Israel which provide a unique educational experience for the many students who participate in these programs; and, WHEREAS, the University of Florida currently has six Hebrew language, literature, and culture classes

taught by Israeli professors, which would have to be discontinued in order to fully implement BDS; and, WHEREAS, drip irrigation technology, which was invented in Israel, is heavily used in agricultural practices including greenhouses on the University of Floridas campus; in order to fully divest from Israel, the University of Florida would have to terminate its use of this agricultural practice which is derived from Israeli technology; and, WHEREAS, multiple doctors at the University of Florida Shands Hospital have studied and participated in research in Israel that has enabled them to further their medical knowledge; and, WHEREAS, the BDS movement, if fully implemented, would eradicated the beneficial partnerships between Israel and the University of Florida as well as its multitude of Israeli connections; then, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the University of Florida Student Senate condemns the BDS movement; and, THEREFORE, LET IT FINALLY BE RESOLVED, that the University of Florida Student Senate does not support legislation that will further the BDS movement and harm the University of Florida, and instead, encourages the University to continue and build upon its partnership with the State of Israel.