Support Berkeley' students in divestiture fight

(PALOS HILLS 03/26/10)- On March 24, University of California Berkeley Student Senate President Will Smelko vetoed 'A Bill in Support of UC Divestment From War Crimes,'  which called for the divestiture of funds from companies enabling war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, among other places. The bill had passed the previous week by a vote of 16 to 4 after several hours of thoughtful debate.

The American Muslims or Palestine (AMP) stands with the students of Berkeley, who are working to override Mr. Smelko's veto in the coming weeks.

ACTION ALERT

(PALOS HILLS 03/26/10)- On March 24, University of California Berkeley Student Senate President Will Smelko vetoed 'A Bill in Support of UC Divestment From War Crimes,'  which called for the divestiture of funds from companies enabling war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, among other places. The bill had passed the previous week by a vote of 16 to 4 after several hours of thoughtful debate.

The American Muslims or Palestine (AMP) stands with the students of Berkeley, who are working to override Mr. Smelko's veto in the coming weeks.

Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine members have issued the following action alert. AMP asks its supporters to read the following statement and to take action. This historic bill is precedent-setting and could pave the way for similar divestment actions on college campuses across the country. Therefore, it is imperative this bill be reinstated.

Berkeley' SJP wrote: Mr. Smelko's decision does not change the fact that 16 out of 20 student representatives voted on the side of divestment, doing so after careful consideration of the facts and a six-hour student debate with overflow capacity - a debate the Senate president chose to miss while justifying his veto by claiming a lack of sufficient debate on the topic. If he had chosen to attend, he would have witnessed the broad-based coalition working to advance human rights in Palestine and social responsibility within the university's investment portfolio.

At the UC Berkeley's campus, there will be a vote to override the President's veto, to be held in the following weeks. We expect to win this vote, as only 14 votes are needed to override a veto and already 16 senators have stood against war crimes, Israel's or otherwise. You can help prevent these senators from bowing to the pressure of the Israel lobby, which has been fierce and deceitful in its characterization of this bill.

Beyond this, there is much to do in the broader public. This movement is not just about a victory for divestment at UC Berkeley. Rather it is about spreading divestment and the notion that all nations and corporations must be held accountable for their gross violations of human rights, and that all people, Palestinians included, deserve basic human rights such as rights to life, property, freedom of movement, and a right to an education.

Thank you so much for your solidarity. - Cal Students for Justice in Palestine

TAKE ACTION

1. Write personal or organizational letters to studrnt senators at  [email protected]. Please send blind copies (bcc) to [email protected] and to [email protected].

2. California supporters who attend Berkeley are asked to attend the next  Student Senate meeting. Check the senate's Web site for scheduling.

3. Spread divestment to your church, synagogue, mosque, to other schools, to other institutions.

4.  Speak up in the press. Write a letter to the editor or an op-ed article. Make the media know about the success at Berkeley and the successes to come.

American Muslims for Palestine is a national grassroots organization whose mission is to educate the American people about issues pertaining to Pestine and its rich cultural heritage. For more information, contact Kristin Szremski, director of media and communications at 708.717.4180 or [email protected].