Like a Bad meal…. UCSB Pro-Divestment Group at it again

There is a saying, “(insert name here) is like a bad meal… They keep on coming back.

No one seems to personify this adage more than the UCSB (University of California, Santa Barbara) pro-divestment movement. Just one month after they were defeated in an all night session 10-11 with one abstention, and covered here, the Pro-Divestment people who seem convinced that Democracy only works when it works in their favor, as evidenced by this screed here ending with the line –

“The real talk won’t stop. It has been halted by your election system for long enough”

are back again and pushing for yet another vote on Divestment.

Here is the Resolution for Divestment.

Now notice a few things about it. Right away the Pro-Divestment side starts with a lie, saying:

“WHEREAS: this resolution does not take a stance on the Israeli-Palestinian issue; we are merely removing student fees from companies that profit off of violence; and,”

 This is interesting, particularly when the “UCSB Divest” movement has a Facebook page that features the phrase: “One day Palestine will be free” AND “From the River to the Sea”. That sounds very much that the UCSB Divest movement and their resolution absolutely DO take a stance on the Israel-Palestinian issue, a stance that advocates the elimination of Israel.

Then the go to say:

“WHEREAS: it is the University of California, Santa Barbara’s duty to maintain the values of intellectual curiosity, integrity, commitments, and empathy, which includes the promotion of human rights, equality, and dignity for all people; and,”

Well, they support everyone’s human rights except of course, for Jewish people and their legitimate rights of self-determination (see above with the Palestine, from River to Sea nonsense). Of course then, one would figure that because these “human rights advocates” are standing tall here they would call for University Divestment in all products from countries that oppress human rights. I mean, the U.S., Russian, Chinese, Iranian, Egyptian, Palestinian etc. governments all participate in some form of oppression. I guess these advocates are all for divesting from companies doing business with these countries. Right? What? They’re not? Only Israel? Gee, why is that?

But it gets even better. They claim not to take a stance YET:

“WHEREAS: the University of California, Santa Barbara is built on Chumash indigenous land, so has Israel been built on indigenous Palestinian land; and”

Ok.. Two things here.

1. IF UCSB really should be Chumash land… WHY are they attending school there? Isn’t their very presence aiding the Occupation and Oppression of the Chumash? This seems at a tad hypocritical to me. It seems to me that if this is the case, these students should be Divesting from UCSB and supporting the return of the land to it’s indigenous people.

2. They say they are not taking a stance on the Israeli-Palestinian issue but this statement says that Israel is not really a state for the Jewish people. That somehow the Jewish people there are “outsiders”. They are claiming Israel is illegitimate because it is built on “Palestinian land”. This alone proves that they are taking a stand on the issue.

So we see here a blatant disrespect for the truth as is evidenced by their lies regarding “not taking a stance”… Oh and by the way the stance that they claim to take – a One State Solution where Jews and Arabs live in a Democracy similar to the United States is only supported by 29.3% of the Palestinian population. BUT… why let facts like that get in the way. As we see by that Tweet from a UCSB Divest Senator, they don’t really care about Democracy – it’s their way or the highway.

But more than that we see what the UCSB Divest (and all Divestment groups) real goals are. They want to divest from companies that supply the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) so that Israel would be eventually unable to defend itself. They don’t like Apache Helicopters, and missiles that the IDF uses. They don’t like security camera systems that protect the settlements and the men, women and children that live there, as well as the borders of the nation.

They don’t want to just stop the Israelis from continuing the Occupation of the West Bank. No, they want to hamstring Israel and undo what they consider the real Occupation, the creation of the State of Israel.

Interestingly enough, why is it only THIS country that merits the attention of a Divestment movement. I mean, Saudi Arabia is one of the most restricted states and largest human rights violators in the world. Ditto, most every Arab nation. Iran, a nation that they say we should engage is a vicious theocracy that routinely violates human rights. YET… only Israel (a country that is amongst the least guilty in the world of Human Rights violations) comes up for Divestment. I wonder what it is that sets Israel apart and makes it so unique? I just can’t figure it out?

No wait… I can. It is a specter as old as when the Jews were slaves in Egypt. It is straight up “Jew hatred” better known as anti-Semitism. Just read the commentary on anti-Zionist and Neo-Nazi websites. It mirrors the language of the Divestment movement. There is nothing really concerning human rights, no other groups or violators of human rights are touched. In fact, other human rights violators are “lionized”. Only Israel. That’s it. The Divestment movement tolerates all kinds of hatred as long as it’s directed at Israel What else can one call it.

Please give your support to the Students of UCSB as they fight this scourge of hatred and bigotry.