Never Again Foundation member “William” spoke again at the open forum during the ASUI meeting on Oct. 16. William read a statement regarding how Israel had been prosecuted in the past and how it is happening again with the Israel-Hamas War in the Middle East.
“Israel grants equal rights to all citizens,” William said. “Its policy is focused on security, not race.”
William stated that antisemitism has been on the rise because of their “self-defense.”
William also disputed the claims that Israel had committed ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Arabs from a study that he sourced. He claimed that their population has risen over the years.
“I don’t know how you can possibly have reverse genocide,” William said.
Other topics followed the open forum.
President Martha Smith and Vice President Emma Johnston will be attending the State Board of Education meeting in Lewiston.
“This will be a really great opportunity to talk about some of the great things ASUI is doing and about somethings we might need to improve on at the state level.”
The first bill that was passed at the meeting was an act allocating $500 for the purchase of $100 scholarships for students attending the senior night games specifically women’s volleyball and soccer.
“I think this is a great way for students to attend the game nights and also show our appreciation for seniors,” Senator Zoha Aqueel said.
A new bill was introduced for the Prison Education Initiative. This bill would allocate $300 for Christmas gifts for the families of incarcerated students.
“Being a part of ASUI means we represent the students of our university,” Senator Bryan Juarez Ruiz said. “The people of the Prison Education Initiative are taking classes here and I thought this would be just a really good use of our money.”
Senator Lance Butikofer proposed a motion to amend the language of the bill from “Christmas” to “holidays.”
This amendment was passed.
Andrea Roberts can be reached at [email protected].