Occidental College, which former President Barack Obama attended before transferring to Columbia University, capitulated to a pro-Hamas “encampment” this week — and violated California “anti-BDS” laws in doing so.
May 7, Occidental president Harry J. Elam Jr. announced via email to the college community that the administration reached an agreement with Occidental Students for Justice in Palestine , Occidental National Jewish Voices for Peace and other organizations to end theirAccording to Elam’s email, the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees will consider Oxy SJP’s divestment demands in a special session. This will be followed by a vote on divestment by the full Board during its.
The anti-BDS law was passed by a number of states, including liberal states, in anticipation of the potential of well-funded anti-Israel organizations to bully people into complying, as has happened on some college campuses. The “amnesty” for the encampment comes amid a climate of antisemitic abuse at Occidental that became so bad by the winter that at least one Jewish freshman said that she would not return to the campus for her spring semester.
An 18-year-old Jewish student in her freshman year at Occidental College in Los Angeles said she will not return for the spring semester because much of the student body and faculty began expressing anti-Israel and antisemitic views following Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7.Interviews with the parents of three other Jewish Occidental students — two freshmen and a sophomore — revealed more Jewish students who feel isolated on campus over wartime demonstrations and other protests.