Israel News
In First, California University Announces Complete Academic Boycott of Israel
Sonoma State University, a public liberal arts college that is part of the California State University system, has announced that it will not engage in any partnerships or collaborations with Israeli universities
Judy Maltz
May 15, 2024
NEW YORK – Bowing to pressure from pro-Palestinian activists on campus, a small public university in northern California has become the first in the United States to agree to a full-fledged academic boycott of Israel.
Sonoma State University, a public liberal arts college that is part of the California State University system, has announced that it will not engage in any partnerships or collaborations with Israeli universities, in response to demands from its local chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
In a letter sent out to the SSU community on Tuesday night, President Mike Lee noted that the university currently has no exchange programs with Israeli institutions and promised to keep it that way.
"SSU will not pursue or engage in any study abroad programs, faculty exchanges, or other formal collaborations that are sponsored by, or represent, the Israeli state academic and research institutions," he wrote.
"SSU also commits to immediately updating any SSU pamphlets and SSU-hosted websites that may still be circulating or searchable and to remove hosting or linking to any pamphlets, flyers, or brochures advertising the study abroad program where students are encouraged to study abroad in Israel. SSU will make it clear to any students that any such programs are terminated until further notice, and not simply suspended."
>From now on, Lee added, the university will only engage with Israeli scholars "acting in a personal capacity."
In recent weeks, various universities around the country have agreed to hold discussions on divestment from Israel and to review their policies regarding exchange programs with Israeli universities, in response to pressure from pro-Palestinian student groups. SSU is the first to agree in advance to an academic boycott of Israel.
"This seems to be the most definitive and extreme concession that we have seen on the boycott issues so far," said Shira Goodman, the vice president for advocacy and national affairs at the Anti-Defamation League.
Nearly three weeks ago, pro-Palestinian students at SSU, like pro-Palestinian students at universities across the country, set up an encampment on campus to protest the Gaza War and demand that their administrations cut ties with Israel.
In exchange for the concessions announced by their university, the students at SSU agreed to take down their encampment.
These concessions also included reviewing all of the university's investments with an eye toward "divestment strategies that include seeking ethical alternatives," setting up a new program in Palestine Studies, and creating an SJP advisory council that will work closely with the administration to ensure that all its promises regarding policies on Israel are fulfilled.
SSU's president also agreed to the student demand that he endorse an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza War.
Praising the students for taking a stand, Lee wrote in his letter: "Student activism, protest, and dissent in service of social and political change are key democratic principles that allow us to imagine a more perfect union – not only for ourselves, but also for others. None of us should be on the sidelines when human beings are subject to mass killing and destruction. I have said this before and it merits repeating: There is no political, religious, or cultural principle that merits the murder of the innocent, and the one battle we should all be engaged in is the fight for inclusion, respect, and freedom for all people, regardless of their background or identity."
Located in the California wine country, SSU has fewer than 5,500 students, among them a large Hispanic cohort. Sandy Weill, the Jewish philanthropist and former chief executive of Citigroup, announced a $12 million gift to SSU – one of its biggest donations ever – to help fund its concert hall.
The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment.