To be honest, I am kind of proud of these kids. This is the first time they’ve done something for themselves. Usually they rely on externally funded an run organizations (Philly Hillel, StandWithUs, Horowitz Freedom Center, David Project, etc etc) to do everything for them.

Hopefully they’ll eventually learn how to THINK for themselves too.

One can only hope :-)

^^that’s sooooo true.
however, i think they’re strangely misguided. the goal of PennBDS has never been to assert that Penn as a university is “against Israel”—how did they move the conversation so far from the actual issue at hand ? So tired of people making this all about Israel. It’s about HUMAN rights, and the injustice of the plight of PALESTINIANS, too, you know.

anyway, I find their response odd, illogical, and overreaching, but at least they are, as “BDS” said, doing something for themselves—considering that PennBDS has received NO outside funding or support, it’s only fair that the “other side” respond in the same turn.

I would say this meme pretty accurately represents the sentiments behind this petition:

http://memegenerator.net/instance/13850052

This is awesome!

I see no sign of any actual divestment resolution at Penn, now or ever. So why are the Zionists upset?

There will be a conference, some nice speeches, and nobody will actually push for anything resembling boycott.

So again, why are the Zionists upset?

I don’t believe these student supporters of Israel are demonstrating they are upset by engaging in their petition project, any more than the PennBDS group is holding their conference because they are upset over Israel’s wild economic success during the BDS decade, or U Penn’s refusal to do what they say. Both groups are simply enjoying the freedom they have at university to engage in political activism.

They’re probably just nipping the problem in the bud. Given the propensity of BDS supporters to straight up lie and claim that organization XYZ supports them when nothing could be further from the truth, it’s smart of them to preempt such a thing.

Also I’m curious how many people posting here are actually Penn students.

I find it interesting that so much effort is being applied to this issue when genocide is taking place in other countries!

Starve Africa, boycott Israel:

http://www.jhasol.org/JHAaboutus/about_jewish_heart_for_africa/about_us.html

>>Also I’m curious how many people posting here are actually Penn students.

I’m not! But any Penn student (especially PennBDS students) are free to join in the conversation at www.pennbds-oy.com. Now with genetically engineered talking lab mice!

This conference will be (another) exercise in dishonest and bigoted Israel-bashing, which is what “BDS” is all about (see info about the previous hatefests BDS has conducted) It’s most telling that for all BDS’ their hypocritical B.S. about “human rights”, etc., etc. , why in the world would they be so obsessed with relentlessly criticizing ONLY Israel, by far the Mideast’s most tolerant open human-rights observing country? Gee, strange that these BDS types don’t seem at all concerned by minor other details from the Mideast, such as Syria’s (continuing) murder of literally thousands of its own citizens! Or any of the other horrendous regular human rights abuses in the other Islamic theocriacies in the region. Hmm…wonder why that blatant hypocristy and dishonesty by BDS? How do you spell racist antiSemitism? That’s what these BDS types are about pure and simple, and their track record amply demonstrates that. They have no place on any University campus and Penn should be ashamed to allow them here.

the organizers addressed that very issue in a DP article last week:

2. How do you respond to the criticism that your conference applies a “double standard” to Israel?

Speaking to Philadelphia’s Jewish Exponent magazine last week, notorious Israel apologist Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor, said “People who support BDS ought to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves, ‘Why Israel?’ Why not against Hamas … or against Syria … or against Cuba … ?”

The implication that BDS activists don’t also devote their time to combating human rights abuses elsewhere in the world is simply false. We the organizers, and most of our allies around the country, have throughout our activist careers taken part in numerous solidarity actions and protests against violence and oppression in Egypt, Syria, Iran, and other countries. BDS supporters wear many hats.

However, we must also point out that Israel is a unique case. No other systematic human rights abuser in the international system receives $3 billion a year in U.S. military aid or the unqualified moral approbation of nearly every elected U.S. official. If there is a “double standard” in the treatment of Israel, it is the standard applied by Israel’s supporters in the U.S. Congress, not by BDS activists. Furthermore, it is often forgotten by the likes of Dershowitz that Syria, Hamas and Cuba already face extensive U.S. (and in the case of Hamas, Israeli) sanctions. It is only Israel whose systematic denial of rights to an entire population is gleefully applauded by our elected leaders and presidential candidates.

Penn BDS is under no obligation to justify its defense of Palestinian human rights! BDS-ers are not obliged to prove that Israel is worse than Hitler when it comes to human rights.

Were the opponents of U.S. slavery obliged to explain themselves, when the British slaveholders in the West Indies was even harsher and deadlier?

No.

Boycott Israel and free Palestine.
Palestinian life is worth that much… or is that topic a matter of debate, too?

LOL. The two posts above me are the perfect example of the half-truths and double talk for which BDSers are famous.

Poster #1 claims that Israel is boycotted because it is America’s ally.

Poster #2 claims that Israel is boycotted because it violates Palestinian human rights.

But I can think of at least three countries (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan) who both violate Palestinian human rights AND are American allies. They even receive military and economic aid from America. And yet we will never find a call to protest Jordan’s discrimination against Palestinians.

The truth is that the BDSers will literally say anything to accomplish their goal, especially lies. Of course, they have been that way from the beginning.

So you argue not that BDS is wrong in targeting Israel’s human rights violations, but that BDS should go further and target other immoral regimes as well. I’m glad that you value this tactic so much that you are advocating for PennBDS not only to continue, but to add to their current campaigns. I always value endorsements of BDS especially when such encouragement comes from otherwise ardent Israel apologists.

Isn’t this an American university? Shouldn’t we be investing in US bonds/stocks/businesses? Penn gets grands/funding from the US government only to have us pour it into Israel? Why??

Besides, $1 million is such a small number compared to what Penn already gives to Israel.

Also they are only up to 552 signatures (up 20 in the last day.. woo). For a school of 10,000 students where 1/3 is Jewish, that really makes me think…. The Jewish students, like me, must not care all that much about Israel. It’s not my nationality. Judaism is much more than Israel. And it’s a shame what Israel is doing in the name of sacred Jewish ideals. Funny that PIPAC is secular isn’t it?

Thank you Penn BDS for giving this issue a spotlight on campus.

Dude: Really got a good laugh at your comments,which initially were so absurd that i thought you were parodying the BDS creeps and their hateful racist agenda. Thought you really meant that you were "tired of people making it all UP about Israel", with which i would wholeheartedly agree! And that would have been the 1 truthful thing in your post! If you're actually serious with commments like "this is all about human rights", then why in the world would you/BDS be bashing Israel, the midEast's only democracy and BY FAR the most respectful of human rights and respecter of ALL religions (i've been there)? Why aren't you and your ilk of embedded Israel-bashers instead concerned about all the REAL human rights abuses in the Mideast-- horrendous daily human rights abuses in the region's Islamic theocracies, in many of which women are regularly brutalized (1/2 of all female deaths under age 30 in Gaza last yr. were "honor" killings), gays are executed as are political dissidents, and NO non-Muslim religions are tolerated? And why does your group never seem to notice all the brutal murders carried out relentlessly by Islamic radicals against innocent Israelis, and indeed worldwide? Really the stench of your hypocrisy is a bit overwhelming. The type of relentless Israel-bashing promulgated by the BDS clowns and their supporters are so fundamentally dishonest and divorced from truth and reality that it can only come from bigotry and hate--as the lawyers say "the truth speaks for itself. I'm not Jewish, but i am interested in honesty, factuality, and avoidance of bigotry and hate--all good reasons why neither BDS nor the KuKluxKlan should be allowed to spew hateful lies Penn—free speech has its limits.

Mike, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Go read a book.

Anonymous.

Nice try. I am saying that BDS is hypocritical and that their supporters like yourself are liars. They will say anything to avoid admitting that BDS has been anti-Israel and anti-Semitic from its very foundations all the way up to today.

BDS has never been about “human rights,” that’s just another lie. If they were they would target other nations long before they got to Israel. It’s always been about wiping Israel out. Don’t believe me? Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifZLk6Ei9-U

And try your lies on someone who will actually believe them.