Tufts U passes referendum reminiscent of 'antisemitic blood libel'
The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group at Tufts forwarded the legislation due to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) alleged links to Israel.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFA sign stands at the edge of the campus of Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, U.S., November 27, 2017(photo credit: BRIAN SNYDER / REUTERS)
A student reform group at Tufts University that champions Jewish rights has condemned a recent referendum with anti-Israel rhetoric passed by the school's student government that intends to demilitarize the campus police department.The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group at Tufts forwarded the legislation due to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) alleged links to Israel.It essentially claims that Israel is responsible for any and all police violence carried out by the campus police department in the past.The referendum passed with 68% of the vote. There were some 2,245 "yes" votes and 665 "no" votes, with 161 abstentions.The Real Reform at Tufts Campaign called the referendum an example of a "modern-day antisemitic blood libel.""We are deeply disappointed in the results of the antisemitic 'Deadly Exchange' referendum," the group said on Instagram. "We strongly believe that voting for a referendum based on mistruths that propagates a modern-day antisemitic blood libel will not fix a broken policing system in America or get us closer to racial justice."The Tufts Daily alleged that there were "violations of the election process by the groups submitting the referenda," however, the referendum was upheld and passed as is, considering there was not "significant" enough deviation from proper procedure to rule the results invalid."[T]he full wordings of the referenda were not made public at least nine days before the election as required by the Constitution, and… the referenda did not have a receipt date with the Elections Commission at least seven days before the vote, as required by the Elections Commission bylaws,” the Elections Commission of the Tufts Community Union said, according to the Tufts Daily.The Israel Advocacy group at Tufts noted that "in addition to spreading hateful rhetoric, the referendum's disregard of the TCU constitution and the Democratic process demonstrates that this does not belong at Tufts. Our Campus community deserves better."
