ACF Calls Out Williams College for Discrimination of Pro-Israel Students

ACF Calls Out Williams College for Discrimination of Pro-Israel Students

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 3, 2019

Contact: Avi D. Gordon, Executive Director Alums for Campus Fairness

917-512-4585, [email protected]

Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) is concerned with the recent action made by the College Council (CC) at Williams College to deny the request of Williams Initiative for Israel (WIFI) to become a registered student organization (RSO).

In a move that embraces hate and division, CC voted 13–8 with one abstention against WIFI’s recognition as an RSO. With this vote, CC has ensured that only certain student voices and perspectives are valued and encouraged by campus leaders. ACF has been notified of issues related to the transparency of the proceedings at the CC meeting. CC decided to apply anonymity to all communications and records related to the proceeding, forgoing standard procedures of CC, such as roll call voting, live streaming of the proceedings, and representative attribution in the meeting minutes. ACF believes that student representatives should be held accountable for their records as elected officials and that this necessitates adequate transparency of their official activities, which includes voting records and statements made while in session.

As the first non-registered student organization in over a decade to fail to gain RSO status, irrespective of compliance with all requirements for recognition, we recognize this move by CC as a significant escalation against Pro-Israel students on campus. Part of ensuring student success requires a commitment to protecting all campus communities from discrimination, including the Pro-Israel community. We will continue to stand by our call for this College to be a pillar of truth, academic freedom, and open discourse where discrimination shall be never be accepted. ACF is proud to support the Pro-Israel community at Williams College.

ACF appreciates the hard work that WIFI has put in to provide balanced dialogue at Williams College regarding Israel. We will continue our work to end anti-Semitism and promote honest and respectful discourse at Williams College.

About ACF: Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) is America’s unified alumni voice on issues of anti-Semitism, demonization of Israel, and bigotry. With over thirty chapters, ACF positions thousands of alumni on the front lines of key issues at their alma maters and works to ensure that universities remain pillars of open dialogue and equal opportunity for all students. For more information, please visit www.campusfairness.org.