OSU students pass first ever Israel divestment resolution | Local News

For the first time, the student senate at The Ohio State University in Columbus voted in favor of a resolution inspired by the boycott, divest and sanctions movement against Israel.

The undergraduate student government has debated BDS resolutions several times in the past, but this is the first one to pass, having been approved by the student senate 14-8 with two abstentions. The resolution calls on the university to divest interest in Caterpillar and Hewlitt Packard because of their business interests in Israel.

The student senate voted to consider it on the floor.

As Ethan Wolf, an economics major from Deerfield, Ill., who opposes the resolution, read a letter from Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague opposing the measure and then an article on foreign affairs at 10:30 p.m., students began yelling “stop stalling,” and then “point of order” and “hand me the mic,” forcing an end to his attempt to filibuster.

“It’s called democratic process,” someone called out.

There was a motion to call the question.

After a discussion among the officers, who left the stage to hold what appeared to be a private conference, paper ballots were handed out to senators and alternates.

Wolf protested the end of his filibuster.

As word got out that the issue was coming to a vote, the Zoom session flooded from around 70 to about 125 participants.

The meeting, the last of the semester and heavily attended, was relocated twice and held at Independence Hall to accommodate a large crowd. Many wore visible signs of their affinity for Palestine, scarves showing the map or the flag. One person waved a flag in the audience. Another held a sign aimed at the Zoom camera which read “Free Palestine.”

The body broke for more than 30 minutes from 7:50 until just about 8:30 p.m. to allow Muslim students in attendance to break their daily fast during Ramadan. Food was brought to the hall.

More than 40 Jewish students filibustered a similar resolution March 30 during the public forum section of the student senate’s meeting.