After several addresses, demands, and hallway altercation, the Student Government Association released a statement Wednesday that they will not meet the demands made by about 10 students at their university-wide meeting.
“We took everything which was said at the meeting very seriously and we have made efforts to understand the emotion which was brought forth during that time. It is of great concern to us that the trip caused emotional distress for the students which we serve,” the statement by the President’s office said. “Neither I, EVP Iqbal, or Communications Director Lazare will be stepping down from our SGA positions.”
The demands we made after about 24 student leaders accepted a trip sponsored by Georgia State Hillel during the winter break. Some of which, are leaders of SGA.
Communications Director Kalisha Lourdy-Lazare did not attend the trip.
But it is not just about the trip. Fatima Ahmad, a student at Georgia State University, turned the attention to the funding.
“The funding used by Hillel is by the Maccabee Task Force which is a pro-zionist task force that and by using this funding, you’re essentially integrating and promoting a pro-Israeli agenda into the University system,” Ahmad said.
Georgia State Hillel, a Jewish organization on-campus, offered the trip to students through an email detailing the grant obtained by the Maccabee Task Force.
The Maccabee Task Force states on their website, “We maintain that BDS is an anti-Semitic movement that crosses the line from legitimate criticism of Israel into the dangerous demonization of Israel and its supporters.”
Georgia State Hillel’s Director Lara Schewitz declined to comment on the trip.
Protesters also demand an apology for accepting the funding and for SGA to adopt pro-BDS legislation to stop the Georgia State University Polic Department from participating in the GILEE program.
The statement did neither.
The statement does say the decision to settle on BDS legislation lies with the Board of Regents and state legislators.
The statement also claimed SGA will continue being a nonpartisan organization.
“The 89th administration has remained nonpartisan throughout the year and will continue to remain nonpartisan for the remainder of our term,” the statement said.
Ebony Short, co-founder of the Panthers for Black Feminism, does not see it that way.
“SGA is supposed to be an apolitical organization, but by going on this trip you have endogenously chosen a side,” Short said.
Note: This article was written for PRN, the student-led news station at Georgia State University.
