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Syracuse University’s Graduate Student Organization passed a resolution in support of student protestors and their right to freedom of speech on campus during its Wednesday meeting. The bill also condemns antisemitism and all other forms of hate speech.

The resolution, titled “A Resolution in Solidarity with Syracuse University Protesters, Support for Free Speech and Condemnation of Antisemitism,” was passed 27-8 with two abstentions. GSO senators debated the legislation for approximately 30 minutes before it was eventually passed.

“(GSO) feels it is important to stand by protecting the first amendment rights of students, including graduate students’ right to peacefully assemble and protest,” GSO President Daniel Kimmel said. “We hope that we can always come together as a community and uplift each other.”

The passing of the resolution comes on the third night of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on SU’s Shaw Quadrangle. Other student organizations, such as SU’s Student Association, have also passed legislation and released statements in support of the student protestors.

After GSO leaders read the resolution, senators discussed its multiple proposed provisions. A majority of their debates centered around three clauses, all of which discussed the organization’s stances on the relationship between “anti-Zionism” and “antisemitism.” The clauses read as follows:

• “Whereas, Zionism and Judaism are not the same.
• Whereas, conflating Zionism and Judaism treats Jews as a monolith and therefore is antisemitic.
• Resolves, the GSO rejects the notion that anti-Zionism is antisemitism.”

Discussion over these clauses revolved around how comfortable graduate students were with the verbiage of these statements. Senators emphasized how similar protests across the country, as well as the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, are “rather sensitive topics” for the SU student body.

The organization proceeded to discuss the definitions of each term, weighing the potential effects these clauses may have on students. GSO also debated whether these clauses were necessary to include in the resolution.

“My dad was a child Holocaust survivor, which is why it is extremely difficult for me to see this language,” Senator Liza Rochelson said. “I want us to think really long and hard about the ramifications of what we’re putting down in this resolution.”

Rochelson also told the assembly that she believed that the language about anti-Zionism and antisemitism could “spur antisemitism,” and that while protecting freedom of speech was a responsibility of the GSO, they also had to be careful of “speech that infuses people to become angry and hate others.”

Another senator, who did not introduce themselves by name, argued that not offering distinction between the terms anti-Zionism and antisemitism “is more hurtful to Jews than anything else.”

Joseph Beckmann, a GSO senator and the only listed author of the resolution, echoed this sentiment, saying that it was “crazy” for people to assume that the two terms meant the same thing.

“I struggle to look at this and think ‘this is going to alienate people’ when we say these two different things are different,” Beckmann said. “It would make more people comfortable to have (the clauses) in there.”

Throughout debate over the resolution, the assembly did not discuss the SU graduate student who was dismissed from the encampment on Shaw Quad after it was revealed that they had posted antisemitic statements on social media. The individual was one of the protest’s organizers, another organizer told The Daily Orange Wednesday morning.

“I don’t know anything about the situation,” Beckmann said. “That’s why it wasn’t included (in the resolution.)”

Kimmel said that they do not know of any future statements from GSO about the graduate student’s involvement in the encampment or their prior antisemitic statements.

The Palestine Solidarity Collective at SU shared via Instagram that it “unequivocally denounces past remarks” made by the graduate student who was dismissed.

SA President German Nolivos and Vice President Reed Granger issued an email to the student body on Tuesday, stating that the association “strongly condemns hate speech” and that they do not support targeted harassment. They also said that they only support protest efforts that are “free of hate.” GSO’s resolution similarly expressed support for student protest efforts while also condemning hate speech.

“The GSO has a long tradition of standing by the students’ right to protest, and that is no different in this matter,” Kimmel said. “What we’re trying to do is build community instead of division.”

Other business:

• The senate passed a resolution allocating a $4,000 salary to future GSO parliamentarians and president pro tempores. This comes after a study found that current senate executives spend an average of six hours on their senatorial duties a week, Kimmel said.
• GSO also passed a resolution to “establish an oath of office and code of ethics” for future senator members. President Pro Tempore Roger Rosena said that, as senators, they need “standards to uphold.”
• Prabin Shrestha was elected to an at-large position on the GSO Senate during Wednesday’s meeting. He will have voting privileges starting in next week’s meeting, Internal Vice President CJ Arnell said.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article placed Kimmel’s statement about GSO’s “long tradition of standing by the students’ right to protest” after a paragraph about the graduate student who was dismissed from SU’s encampment protests. This was inaccurate. Kimmel said this about student demonstration efforts general, not about the removed student. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on May 2, 2024 at 1:18 am

Contact Duncan: digreen@syr.edu