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What Does Implementing BDS Mean for American College Students?
The Activities and Recreation Center at UC Davis. Photo: Wikipedia Commons.
The Associated Students of the University of California Davis (ASUCD) have a lot of responsibility. They manage a $20 million budget, hire upwards of 1,600 students, and provide essential services for the entire community. This is why it’s so alarming that such a body would be used to further an unpopular and deeply antisemitic political movement rather than take its responsibilities seriously.
After the atrocities of October 7, 2023, student leaders chose to redirect their priorities toward promoting an agenda whose sole purpose was to target both Jewish and Israeli students through the guise of “solidarity with the Palestinian cause” and the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Official ASUCD Instagram accounts platform an explicitly pro-Palestinian agenda with their profile pictures. Additionally, current ASUCD senators have tried to pass resolutions to steer all departments into political positions with the threat of intervention — essentially an attempt to force members to endorse anti-Israel positions or lose funding.
ASUCD originally passed a BDS resolution in 2015, but in 2019, that resolution was deemed unconstitutional. Despite this, in February 2024, ASUCD took further action by creating a new committee tasked with implementing the resolution. The committee now faces the sweeping challenge of divesting over $20 million from any company with even a tangential connection to Israel. For some reason, current ASUCD members don’t seem to care about their own constitution or the authority of the school’s judicial council.
Why was it struck down in 2019? Three reasons: it is impossible to implement, it is antisemitic, and it is illegal under state law.
BDS at UC Davis calls for total divestment from Israel and all companies that have supposedly committed human rights abuses. This goal is simply not possible. Israel is deeply connected within the global trade network, and many large companies like Google, Microsoft, and others have realized the opportunities presented within the “Start-Up Nation.” If somehow BDS is fully implemented to its extreme positions, basic services would no longer be available. ASUCD could not use Google, computers that use Intel, or even Amazon to order basic items for student events.
BDS is also antisemitic in both theory and practice. A co-founder of BDS, Omar Barghouti, explicitly denies the right of the Jewish people to self-determination and the legitimacy of the Jewish state. The membership of the National Committee of BDS includes members and people affiliated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — all of which are designated as terrorist organizations by the United States and other nations.
Furthermore, research has shown that the existence of BDS activity on college campuses is both a predictor of — and strongly correlated with — increased antisemitic incidents and the specific targeting of Jewish students on campuses. BDS also directly prohibits peaceful dialogues or interactions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian people unless Israelis are all labeled as oppressors and colonizers.
California made BDS illegal in 2016 under AB 2844, which states that entities under contract with the government worth $100,000 or more must be compliant with the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. Furthermore, the act seeks to ensure that any policy that has been adopted against any sovereign nation or peoples recognized by the United States, including Israel, is not used to discriminate. BDS discriminates explicitly on the basis of national origin.
ASUCD relies on Federal funding in order to run the Unitrans unit, which provides bus rides across the city of Davis to all students. Unitrans received $2,922,243 in 2023-2024 from both the Federal CARES Act (2020) and the Urbanized Area Formula Grants or FTA 5307. In order to implement BDS within ASUCD, it would seem like our elected student representatives would have to shut down 32% of Unitrans’ budget, potentially crippling its critical service to the student community at UC Davis and the rest of the city.
In early February 2025, legislation was introduced in student government to force all units within ASUCD to adopt a singular political position. While the bill was withdrawn, it speaks to the priorities of certain members within the ASUCD legislative branch. In the proposed bill, ASUCD would be able to take positions on political issues and force departments without those positions to “make changes necessary to bring them in compliance with the official position.”
In layman’s terms, this means that the student government could punish student workers for not adhering to a specific political ideology. Not only is this authoritarian and contrary to the democratic nature of our country and student government, but it is plain wrong. Anti-Israel ideologues are literally trying to force their opinions onto the rest of the student body.
If BDS was ever implemented, Jewish students would face increased antisemitic incidents and targeting on campus, all students would face dramatic cuts to the vital bus network, and ASUCD would likely face legal repercussions for passing illegal policies that discriminate based on national origin.
We want our student fees to go toward improving our campus, not tearing it down in the name of supporting Palestinians (though this act does not support Palestinians, but rather only discriminates against Israelis and Jews). ASUCD should spend their vast budget and manpower dedicating themselves to their given mandate: the needs of all students.
Raphael Myers is an undergraduate student at UC Davis and is a fellow for CAMERA on Campus.
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Switzerland Moves to Close Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s Geneva Office Over Legal Irregularities
Palestinians carry aid supplies received from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the central Gaza Strip, May 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed/File Photo
Switzerland has moved to shut down the Geneva office of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed aid group, citing legal irregularities in its establishment.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza in late May, implementing a new aid delivery model aimed at preventing the diversion of supplies by Hamas, as Israel continues its defensive military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group.
The initiative has drawn criticism from the UN and international organizations, some of which have claimed that Jerusalem is causing starvation in the war-torn enclave.
Israel has vehemently denied such accusations, noting that, until its recently imposed blockade, it had provided significant humanitarian aid in the enclave throughout the war.
Israeli officials have also said much of the aid that flows into Gaza is stolen by Hamas, which uses it for terrorist operations and sells the rest at high prices to Gazan civilians.
With a subsidiary registered in Geneva, the GHF — headquartered in Delaware — reports having delivered over 56 million meals to Palestinians in just one month.
According to a regulatory announcement published Wednesday in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce, the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ESA) may order the dissolution of the GHF if no creditors come forward within the legal 30-day period.
The Trump administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Swiss decision to shut down its Geneva office.
“The GHF confirmed to the ESA that it had never carried out activities in Switzerland … and that it intends to dissolve the Geneva-registered branch,” the ESA said in a statement.
Last week, Geneva authorities gave the GHF a 30-day deadline to address legal shortcomings or risk facing enforcement measures.
Under local laws and regulations, the foundation failed to meet several requirements: it did not appoint a board member authorized to sign documents domiciled in Switzerland, did not have the minimum three board members, lacked a Swiss bank account and valid address, and operated without an auditing body.
The GHF operates independently from UN-backed mechanisms, which Hamas has sought to reinstate, arguing that these vehicles are more neutral.
Israeli and American officials have rejected those calls, saying Hamas previously exploited UN-run systems to siphon aid for its war effort.
The UN has denied those allegations while expressing concerns that the GHF’s approach forces civilians to risk their safety by traveling long distances across active conflict zones to reach food distribution points.
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Key US Lawmaker Warns Ireland of Potential Economic Consequences for ‘Antisemitic Path’ Against Israel
US Sen. James Risch (R-ID) speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Washington, DC, May 21, 2024. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch (R-ID) issued a sharp warning Tuesday, accusing Ireland of embracing antisemitism and threatening potential economic consequences if the Irish government proceeds with new legislation targeting Israeli trade.
“Ireland, while often a valuable U.S. partner, is on a hateful, antisemitic path that will only lead to self-inflicted economic suffering,” Risch wrote in a post on X. “If this legislation is implemented, America will have to seriously reconsider its deep and ongoing economic ties. We will always stand up to blatant antisemitism.”
Marking a striking escalation in rhetoric from a senior US lawmaker, Risch’s comments came amid growing tensions between Ireland and Israel, which have intensified dramatically since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Those attacks, in which roughly 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, prompted a months-long Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has drawn widespread international scrutiny. Ireland has positioned itself as one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s response, accusing the Israeli government of disproportionate use of force and calling for immediate humanitarian relief and accountability for the elevated number of Palestinian civilian casualties.
Dublin’s stance has included tangible policy shifts. In May 2024, Ireland formally recognized a Palestinian state, becoming one of the first European Union members to do so following the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The move was condemned by Israeli officials, who recalled their ambassador to Ireland and accused the Irish government of legitimizing terrorism. Since then, Irish lawmakers have proposed further measures, including legislation aimed at restricting imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, policies viewed in Israel and among many American lawmakers as aligning with the controversial Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
While Irish leaders have defended their approach as grounded in international law and human rights, critics in Washington, including Risch, have portrayed it as part of a broader pattern of hostility toward Israel. Some US lawmakers have begun raising the possibility of reevaluating trade and diplomatic ties with Ireland in response.
Risch’s warning is one of the clearest indications yet that Ireland’s policies toward Israel could carry economic consequences. The United States is one of Ireland’s largest trading partners, and American companies such as Apple, Google, Meta and Pfizer maintain substantial operations in the country, drawn by Ireland’s favorable tax regime and access to the EU market.
Though the Trump administration has not echoed Risch’s warning, the remarks reflect growing unease in Washington about the trajectory of Ireland’s foreign policy. The State Department has maintained a careful balancing act, expressing strong support for Israel’s security while calling for increased humanitarian access in Gaza. Officials have stopped short of condemning Ireland’s actions directly but have expressed concern about efforts they see as isolating Israel on the international stage.
Ireland’s stance is emblematic of a growing international divide over the war. While the US continues to provide military and diplomatic backing to Israel, many European countries have called for an immediate ceasefire and investigations into alleged war crimes.
Irish public opinion has long leaned pro-Palestinian, and Irish lawmakers have repeatedly voiced concern over the scale of destruction in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation.
Irish officials have not yet responded to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.
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Israel Condemns Iran’s Suspension of IAEA Cooperation, Urges Europe to Reinstate UN Sanctions
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar at a press conference in Berlin, Germany, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Christian Mang/File Photo
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Wednesday condemned Iran’s decision to halt cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog and called on the international community to reinstate sanctions to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” Saar wrote in a post on X. “This is a complete renunciation of all its international nuclear obligations and commitments.”
Last week, the Iranian parliament voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA “until the safety and security of [the country’s] nuclear activities can be guaranteed.”
“The IAEA and its Director-General are fully responsible for this sordid state of affairs,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
The top Iranian diplomat said this latest decision was “a direct result of [IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi’s] regrettable role in obfuscating the fact that the Agency — a full decade ago — already closed all past issues.
“Through this malign action,” Araghchi continued, “he directly facilitated the adoption of a politically-motivated resolution against Iran by the IAEA [Board of Governors] as well as the unlawful Israeli and US bombings of Iranian nuclear sites.”
The Parliament of Iran has voted for a halt to collaboration with the IAEA until the safety and security of our nuclear activities can be guaranteed.
This is a direct result of @rafaelmgrossi‘s regrettable role in obfuscating the fact that the Agency—a full decade ago—already…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 27, 2025
On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian approved a bill banning UN nuclear inspectors from entering the country until the Supreme National Security Council decides that there is no longer a threat to the safety of its nuclear sites.
In response, Saar urged European countries that were part of the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal to activate its “snapback” clause and reinstate all UN sanctions lifted under the agreement.
Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), this accord between Iran and several world powers imposed temporary restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
During his first term, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and reinstated unilateral sanctions on Iran.
“The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now! I call upon the E3 countries — Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!” Saar wrote in a post on X.
“The international community must act decisively now and utilize all means at its disposal to stop Iranian nuclear ambitions,” he continued.
The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now!
I call upon the E3 countries- Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!
Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy…— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) July 2, 2025
Saar’s latest remarks come after Araghchi met last week in Geneva with his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas — their first meeting since the Iran-Israel war began.
Europe is actively urging Iran to reengage in talks with the White House to prevent further escalation of tensions, but has yet to address the issue of reinstating sanctions.
Speaking during an official visit to Latvia on Tuesday, Saar said that “Operation Rising Lion” — Israel’s sweeping military campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities — has “revealed the full extent of the Iranian regime’s threat to Israel, Europe, and the global order.”
“Iran deliberately targeted civilian population centers with its ballistic missiles,” Saar said at a press conference. “The same missile threat can reach Europe, including Latvia and the Baltic states.”
“Israel’s actions against the head of the snake in Iran contributed directly to the safety of Europe,” the Israeli top diplomat continued, adding that Israeli strikes have set back the Iranian nuclear program by many years.
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