The national leadership of the UK’s National Union of Students (NUS) has voted to align itself with the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. In reaction, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by smearing the millions-strong organization as supporters of Islamic State, the violent extremist group also known as ISIS or ISIL. “In a 19-4 vote with one abstention, the confederation of 600 student unions across the United Kingdom passed the pro-BDS proposal on Tuesday at a meeting of its National Executive Council,” according to JTA. The NUS press office could not immediately provide The Electronic Intifada with an official copy of the resolution, but said it would be posted on its website in coming days. Netanyahu’s smear “This is less than a year after they refused to support a boycott of ISIS,” Netanyahu said in reaction to the vote, during a meeting with Canada’s foreign minister. “They boycott Israel but they refuse to boycott ISIS. Tha...

Solidarity activists in the UK declared victory Monday, as the National Executive Council of the Nation Union of Students voted to pass a motion in solidarity with Palestine, and for an arms embargo against Israel. The NEC motion condemned Israel’s lethal assault on and blockade of the Gaza Strip. It also called on the NUS membership, comprising seven million students, to boycott “corporations complicit in financing and aiding Israel’s military, including G4S and Hewlett Packard.” This is an expansion of already existing NUS policy supporting the BDS movement, as it resolved to “provide information and resources to support student unions and student organizations campaigning for boycott and divestment of companies identified as supporting Israel materially, economically, militarily, and/or as helping maintain the illegal Israeli settlements.” One of the main NUS activists pushing for the BDS motion was Malaka Mohammed, a student from Gaza currently studying law in Sheffield. Malak...

From the Jewish Chronicle A motion, agreed by NUS executive officers on Tuesday, pledged to send British students on future flotillas to Gaza, build links with the Hamas-backed Islamic University of Gaza, twin British student unions with Palestinian universities, and called for the right to return for all Palestinian refugees. The Union of Jewish Students and the Board of Deputies called on NUS president Aaron Porter to "immediately revoke the policy" and "return to the mainstream of student politics". An NUS spokesman said Mr Porter and the union stood by the executive committee's decision and declined to comment further. The motion was due to be discussed at the NUS national conference last month, but delegates agreed it should be resolved by the executive committee. It was passed at the committee's meeting after just 20 minutes of debate. Mr Porter did not vote as he was chairing the meeting. A member of NUS's Black Students' Committee led the a...

pic from Manchester University occupation Palestine Solidarity Campaign Student Day School 2 May - report back Students from across Britain met on Saturday 2 May to discuss solidarity with Palestine in the aftermath of Israel 's military onslaught and continuing blockade against Gaza . The day school, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, brought together representatives of the recent student occupations in support of Palestine, with Muslim representatives including Federation of Student Islamic Societies and the British Muslim Initiative; Ken Livingstone; Jeremy Corbyn MP; the Viva Palestina convoy to Gaza led by George Galloway and Jews for Justice for Palestinians. The meeting highlighted the contrast between the refusal of the National Union of Students National Executive to support any of the mass demonstrations against Israel 's attack on Gaza and the revulsion of the great majority of students at the slaughter of more than 1400 Palestinians, most of them civili...

From the Guardian Buoyed by their recent action on Gaza, thousands of students are set to march through central London today demanding the abolition of tuition fees for university and college education... ..."The NUS has abdicated its responsibility to members by giving up on mass campaigning." ...Wes Streeting, the president of the NUS, has faced criticism from campaigners over his refusal to back the campaign and his condemnation of the recent Gaza protests. watch video at solomonsmindfield

Wes Streeting National Union of Students President said: "I also remain alarmed by reports of antisemitism on too many of our campuses. While criticism of Israel is perfectly acceptable and many of the protesters have campaigned peacefully, there can be no justification for the kinds of incidents that have been recorded on our campuses and in our communities. It is the responsibility of us all to not only face this reality, but to challenge this kind of racism head on." Gaza Solidarity broke the news on 9 February - see the full statement from Streeting here A response from the President of Essex University Students Union, Dominic Kavakeb, to the national president, Wes Streeting's slurs linking student Gaza occupations to anti-semitism Posted at SOAS Students in Solidarity with Gaza Wes Streeting has disgracefully played the race card to criticise the wave of student activism. In response, Dominic Kavakeb (Essex university) has written the following response: We would l...

From LSE occupation blog Solidarity with Matt Vicary, suspended from his post at Hallam Union for taking part in NUS action During the recent NUS Extraordinary Conference a group of students took to the stage to demand that the NUS release a strong statement of condemnation of merciless Israeli bombing of Gaza. Matt Vicary, Equal opportunities officer at Sheffield Hallam Union has been suspended from his post by President Russ Swannack for taking part. Several other students have been threatened with suspension from the University itself and the Union has done nothing to defend them. We should be defending student activism, not banning it. To show your support and register your disgust ring Hallam Union on 0114 225 4111 or email r.swannack@shu.ac.uk .

GazaSolidarity spoke to John Carroll in the National Union of Students press office concerning the reported support of the President for the wave of student occupations sweeping the UK. The official position of NUS is being sent to us and will be posted as soon as we get it. [update 17.25 GMT] see the official NUS position sent to us a moment ago: NUS President Wes Streeting said: "I do believe that student political activism is alive and kicking, and is to be encouraged, but I do not believe that these occupations have been the student movement's finest hour. "Students have every right to campaign actively and vocally on the situation in the Middle East, as well as wider political issues of the day, but all students also have the right to study in an environment that is free from disruption, intimidation or harassment. Where students are currently occupying teaching and learning spaces on campuses up and down the country, they are causing significant disruption to the ...

From the Manchester University occupation The Manchester Uni occupation applauds Wes for this sentiment. We would be very happy if he came over to address our occupation on the importance of building a fighting student movement for Palestine as well as using his position to push the NUS to put pressure on our Vice-Chancellor Alan Gilbert to concede to our demands, send a letter to our union’s Gen Sec Rob Pinfold congratulating us for our actions as well as Labour Students in Manchester who have been hostile to us. We would also be very happy if the NUS pledged to campaign to defend occupying students against any reprisals from management. Get cracking Wes! On this blog NUS were cited by the Nottingham Evening News as calling on students to end sit-ins a week ago: They have held their protest and made their point, and have in fact continued the occupation despite calls by the National Union of Students for all such campus protests to end NUS President, and Labour student, Wes Streetin...

From Nottingham Evening News A STUDENT sit-in protest at the University of Nottingham over events in Gaza ended last night. More than 20 students were removed at around 6.10pm after security entered the room in the university's Law and Social Science building. Some students claim they were forcibly removed and said they would be taking up the matter with police. Oh well - can always reoccupy a more strategic building with bigger numbers next time. The start of an ongoing campaign... Nottingham Occupation website

from CNN The National Union of Students said while it understood feelings behind the several weeks of protests on a scale rarely seen in Britain since the 1960s, the levels of disruption was now at an unacceptable level with heightened tensions on campuses. The National Union of Students instead of supporting the sit-ins has asked students to call them off. What a useless bunch they are.