Gov. Cuomo’s Order on Israel Stirs N.Y. Campus Activists Columbia, NYU and the City University of New York have all said that they wouldn’t divest from Israel By Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Mike Vilensky

Posted By on June 13th, 2016

http://www.wsj.com/articles/gov-cuomos-order-on-israel-stirsn-y-campus-activists-1465781938

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order pressuring institutions and businesses to maintain ties with Israel has riled college campuses in the state, where students have called for divestment from the country.

Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, issued the order earlier this month, saying New York would discontinue investments with organizations boycotting Israel.

College students have long called for their universities to divest funds from institutions they object to, including private-prison and fossil-fuel companies. Initiatives to pressure Israel economically have become known as the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, or BDS.

Alphonso David, Mr. Cuomo’s counsel, said the new executive order wouldn’t pertain to schools that heeded requests for divestment, but those that did so could violate existing state laws against discrimination. He also said student groups calling for their schools to divest from Israel wouldn’t be affected by the order.

Still, students have expressed concern that the order would weaken their efforts.

“NYU can use this as another excuse as why they refuse to divest,” said Ellis Garey, a New York University graduate student who said she voted this year in favor of a student-union resolution calling for boycotting Israel. She was part of a group of students and activists who protested outside Mr. Cuomo’s Manhattan office on Thursday. CONTINUE AT SITE

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