The ASLMU Senate voted 4-3 to uphold the recent veto of a resolution that would have required ASLMU to financially boycott companies believed to be supporting Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The Senate would have needed a three-fourths majority to overturn the veto of the resolution and bylaw, but could not achieve that number essentially upholding the veto.
“[The bylaw] is a socially responsible bill which requires ASLMU to put their money towards morally responsible companies,” said Sophie Frietas, a senior Screenwriting major and Co-President of SJP.
ASLMU Vice President, Yinka Akinlade explained to the Lion in a previous interview what the resolution and bylaw were.
“The bylaws are like a constitution,” explained Akinlade. “The resolutions [are a] non-binding form of legislation that can be then made actionable.”
The Senate meeting included a 30-minute public hearing in which students were allowed to comment on the legislation; 15 minutes was allotted to both people in favor and against the resolution and bylaw. A total of 14 people spoke.
There were eight students who shared speeches in favor of the resolution. One of the eight speakers was David Kandah, junior Mechanical Engineering major, and Co-president of SJP.
“Whenever I visit my family in the West Bank, life is suffocating…every aspect of my life and my family’s life are controlled by foreign military power,” said Kandah.“You [ASLMU] have the power to do something….this BDS resolution is the strongest form of resistance towards occupational rule.”
There were five speakers who spoke in opposition to the resolution and bylaw. One of the speakers was Rabbi Zachary Zysman, the LMU Campus Minister for Jewish student life and Hillel.
“When a resolution like this is passed my colleagues tell me that anti-semitism will increase,” said Zysman. “We are not going to get to the solutions unless we come together and talk about them.”
After the public comment, the Senate voted anonymously.
When ASLMU announced the bylaw had been passed but the resolution had not, reactions were predictably mixed.
“I am glad that the Senate listened to us and decided not to pass [the resolution and bylaw],” said sophomore Psychology major Michelle Shulmann, acting president of Students Supporting Israel. “The fight does not stop here… We are planning to pass our own resolution to do something for us.”
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), who lobbied for the legislation, expressed disbelief.
“I feel hurt…[SJP] worked together with ASLMU on this,” said Frietas. “We put our trauma and our stories and our passion out to everyone… for the first time it felt like maybe a Palestinian voice was going to be valued.”
“I am heartbroken,” said senior Film major Meera Macki, Co-President of SJP. “It is clear that ASLMU does not show up for its marginalized students. We are going to be here until LMU divests and does not use our money to fund a genocide.”
Maddie Shonholtz, a junior Political Science major and member of the Senate, said she’d expected the Senate to vote unanimously for the bylaw and resolution, as it did two weeks ago.
“It was a huge upset to go from a unanimous [vote] to only three people in agreement with the resolution,” she said.
While the proposed resolution and bylaw were not passed for this school year, ASLMU does allow for resolutions to be reintroduced again the following school year.
“We will be back next semester,” said Macki. “[SJP] will not stop until the resolution is passed.”
