Israeli student elected by Columbia for role of student president as protests surge

[question everything]

Source: The Jerusalem Post

Columbia University has elected Israeli student Maya Platek as Columbia student government president for the 2024-2025 school year, the organization Students Supporting Israel (SSI) announced Friday.

The election of an Israeli student for the role comes as the Columbia campus experiences an overwhelming wave of anti-Israel protests and encampments. has been determined to speak up for Jewish students on campus as a member of SSI, an organization that, according to its website, aims to allow for a pro-Israel voice on college campuses.

Platek introduced herself to the student body in a speech following her election. “I am an Israeli rising senior and was recently elected as the Student Body President at Columbia University. As Columbia hits a peak of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, I am honored to have been elected as next year’s Student Body President. More than ever before, it is critical that our voices are heard and our safety is protected.”

Columbia University has also been slammed with unprecedented levels of antisemitic activity, including violent behavior against Jewish students. Platek spoke out against the antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment throughout campus, criticizing her classmates and professors for their behavior on campus.


Read more: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-798910

[LeftInTX]

1. Wow!

&t=32s&ab_channel=StudentSupportingIsrael%28SSI%29

[moniss]

2. I don't hear a middle of the road sort.

SSI isn't. I am curious though when she says she has "served" her country. Is she former IDF or some other government post? Maybe she just means this in a generic sense. SSI seems to mostly be about being an opposition to the Boycott/Divest folks. But their web site is loaded with misinformation/slant/propaganda. For example the claim that the United States recognizes the West Bank settlements to be consistent with international law. Pure BS. UN Resolution 2334 finding the settlements in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and having no legal validity passed the Security Council 14-0 with the US abstaining but making the following statement : "The United States ambassador, Samantha Power, explained the abstention by saying that on one hand the United Nations often unfairly targets Israel, that there are important issues unaddressed by the resolution, and that the US did not agree with every word in the text; while on the other hand the resolution reflects facts on the ground, that it reaffirms the consensus that the settlement activity is not legal, and that the settlement activity has gotten "so much worse" as to endanger the viability of the two-state solution." The fact that Israel wants to reject 2334 or dispute it doesn't matter as to the obligation of UN members to comply with UN resolutions. But like most of the other resolutions the sides comply or not while pointing the finger to the other about non-compliance. I'm putting up the SSI link as well as the link for the UN resolution. The rest of the site "facts" sort of go along the same line of being quite one sided, misleading or just wrong.

People and groups like this from either side are not unusual and are actually a part of what keeps solutions from happening. Denial of the truth or distortion of facts to get an advantage or an outcome is not a recipe for lasting agreements. But when you read the history you find both sides doing this with each other to varying degrees at varying times. We're still not getting anywhere.

https://www.ssimovement.org/facts.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_2334

[tornado34jh]

3. Let me guess, is she part of another movement/group backed by Netanyahu and his government

Sure seems like to me. There are actually several including this one. You'd be surprised how many there are. There are several organizations backed by the Israeli government that want universities to give unconditional support to Israel. Is this person part of that group?

[Shermanator]

4. Seems like she was [s]elected

to appease donors.

[R Merm]

5. She was elected by the students, I don't think they were concerned about the donors.