UCSB Rejects Divestment

The measure, which required a two-thirds vote for passage, received 11 negative votes, 10 affirmative, and 1 abstention. The vote was held in the early morning hours of April 11, 2013, at the conclusion of a nearly 14 hour marathon debate.

Pro-Israel students rallied against this measure, generating a crowd of over 400 people for the exceptionally long student senate deliberation. The measure was discussed over the course of two weeks, with nearly 24 hours of time devoted to a thorough consideration of the measure and its implications.

Rabbi Evan Goodman, Executive Director of Santa Barbara Hillel, praised the many students who worked to defeat the resolution. “The students showed incredible passion for Israel, while also continually working to maintain civil discourse on our campus.” UCSB is one of the top destinations for Jewish students in the country, and has the highest percentage Jewish population in the entire UC system. “Respect and tolerance,” Goodman noted, “are a hallmark of our campus climate at UCSB and especially here at Santa Barbara Hillel.”