The Wesleyan University chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine were certain in their victory over the Zionist Sabra Hummus—because the product had disappeared from the shelves of one of the campus’ dining halls, TruthRevolt.org reported. SJP had been promoting intensively the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
Wesleyan is a private liberal arts college in Middletown, Connecticut. When the Hummus was gone from its dining hall, WTNH.Com, a local news station, declared this as a victory for the anti-Israel forces on campus, suggesting the Hummus was “banned from Wesleyan” and even speculating that this would cost Sabra $25, 000 annually, according to TruthRevolt.org.
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Wesleying.org, the school news website, reported (H/T to TruthRevolt.org who kept the text, after it had been deleted):
If you haven’t noticed (though you probably have), Weshop has started carrying a new brand of hummus. Over the course of a few weeks, Sabra hummus has been phased out and replaced by Cedar’s. Additionally, all other Sabra products have been taken off the shelves in Pi and Usdan Café. This change was implemented under the direction of the Dining Committee, which is led by WSA members and Bon Appetit staff.
The decision to switch hummus brands comes after a long campaign by members of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and other students to remove Sabra products from the dining locations on campus, because of Sabra’s involvement in the Israel/Palestine conflict. This campaign was initiated over the course of multiple semesters.
“Two years ago, we were researching and educating ourselves on the Boycott/Divestment/Sanctions movement, which began in Palestine in 2005, ” says JJ Mitchell ’15. The movement seeks to take a stand against financial support for Israel and its actions against Palestine. “Sabra’s parent company, Strauss Group, provides direct monetary aid to certain military brigades, specifically the Golani Brigade, that are known for their particularly violent approaches, ” says Mitchell. These Israeli Defense Forces that have received material support from Strauss Group have been pinpointed as violating the human rights of Palestinians.
But then, last Friday, the school website had this to say on the same story:
Update (12/9/14 12:13PM): The WSA Dining Committee has released the following statement based on developments over the weekend:
As many people on and off campus are aware, Wesleyan recently switched from stocking Sabra hummus to a local brand, Cedar’s. Though we made this change in the interest of sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint, it unfortunately has been misinterpreted in the media and elsewhere as a political statement in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. In order to clarify our continued political neutrality, and to give students a choice, we will be stocking both Sabra and Cedar’s hummus, starting in January.
Which was followed by this:
Update (12/9/14 7:08PM): A statement has been released by Yael Horowitz ’17, Students for Justice in Palestine, and “another group of concerned students”:
We are extremely disappointed in the University’s decision to put Sabra Hummus back on the shelves. It is not an ethical response, but is instead motivated by public relations and the opinions of President Michael Roth. Student opinion is against Israeli apartheid and occupation, and we will continue to make this known. This is not the end of the conversation.
So, in the end, it wasn’t really the Jews against the Palestinians, or Sabra Hummus against everything that’s descent in the world. It was all about Yael Horowitz.
Good to know.
