We are concerned with the referendum that the Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) put forth for the undergraduate student body to vote on from April 26 to 28.
The referendum, titled “ACT OF REFERENDUM to Establish Transparency Regarding Investments Made by the University AND Demand Georgetown Uphold Its Socially Responsible Investing Policy by Divesting from Companies Engaged in Human Rights Violations,” calls on the university to disclose investments involving Israel and “End University Partnerships with Israeli Institutions.”
As student leaders of the principal Jewish and Israel-focused student organizations at Georgetown, we oppose GUSA’s referendum as damaging to academic freedom, illegitimate and discriminatory. We urge students to vote no.
First, the referendum’s demands are a striking breach of academic freedom. According to its mission statement, Georgetown University is an “academic community dedicated to creating and communicating knowledge,” and “was founded on the principle that serious and sustained discourse among people of different faiths, cultures and beliefs promotes intellectual, ethical and spiritual understanding.”
The referendum undermines Georgetown’s mission by violating students’ academic freedom. It could revoke the opportunity for Georgetown students to study abroad at Israeli universities, for Georgetown to invite faculty of Israeli universities to teach and lecture, for Georgetown faculty to engage with Israeli universities and for student groups to collaborate with Israeli institutions on academic and cultural initiatives. These engagements are necessary components of academic freedom. Israeli scholars, academics and students are some of the most vocal advocates for peace and coexistence amongst Israelis and Palestinians. Eliminating these intellectual resources would betray our Jesuit values and the core principles of higher education.
Second, the referendum is illegitimate. The sponsors of the referendum pushed their bill through GUSA’s voting structures without full or typical consideration. Bills are generally introduced through the Policy and Advocacy Committee, which assigns policy priorities to senators and allows deliberation on bills at least a week in advance. Yet, this bill did not pass through the committee; rather, it was introduced in the last minutes of the April 6 GUSA Senate meeting on a motion to break the rules, shortchanging the traditional period of deliberation. Similar motions have been used in the past, but this referendum was unique in that the bill’s proponents surprised even their peers in the GUSA Senate.
The referendum’s scheduling also raised concerns over accessibility for Jewish students. While it was initially planned for April 14-16 — which falls during the important Jewish holiday of Passover, when observant Jews were unable to use technology for a period of the vote — GUSA rescheduled the referendum for April 26-28 due to concerns from university administration and Georgetown’s Jewish community. We are grateful the referendum vote was moved to accommodate our Jewish community members, although voting for other GUSA issues, including our representatives in the GUSA Senate, still fell during this holy time.
Third, the referendum is inherently discriminatory. Hamas’ Oct. 7th terror attacks and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war have devastated Israeli and Palestinian lives. In cutting ties with Israeli institutions and associated companies, the referendum removes Israel from the dialogue on peace, impeding learning and coexistence for both Israelis and Palestinians. Furthermore, the referendum singles out and demonizes the world’s only Jewish state, accusing it of human rights abuses without mentioning other Georgetown-affiliated states facing similar accusations. In so doing, the referendum imposes a “double standard” that falls under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, which the governments of the United States and other countries recognize.
We are also highly concerned with recent acts of antisemitic vandalism taking place on Georgetown’s campus in connection with the referendum. Last week, university officials found antisemitic graffiti on a Jewish student’s poster. In addition, between April 11 and 12, flyers posted by Jewish students protesting the referendum were torn down in Red Square, infringing the free speech of Jewish community members and violating Georgetown policy. These acts of vandalism constitute attempts to intimidate and silence Jewish voices at Georgetown, and our entire university community must condemn them. We are grateful the administration is actively investigating these incidents and that appropriate action will be taken.
We support the right to free speech and protest whether or not we agree with the objectives. Students should never have their voices stifled regardless of the causes they advocate for, and Georgetown University ought not restrict the freedom of its students and faculty in any capacity or for any point of view. This referendum violates the very principles Georgetown stands on. We urge students to vote no.
This viewpoint was submitted by leaders from Georgetown’s principal Jewish and Israel-focused student organizations, including the Jewish Student Association (JSA), Georgetown Israel Alliance (GIA), Georgetown Chabad and Georgetown Students Supporting Israel (SSI). The viewpoint was drafted in consultation with club leadership and, according to student leaders, received widespread support from students in these organizations.