The Student Senate meeting Wednesday brought students to Memorial Union Room 300 to share their dissent for a potential Israeli Culture Club.
Bill 55, which would acknowledge an Israeli Culture Club on campus, brought students to voice their concerns with the club’s recognition. The club would not be associated with the Hillel Center, and is described in their mission statement as a social club for Israeli students. The mission statement defines the club as a “safe space” in the rise of anti-semitism and anti-zionism.
Student Ethan Majors voiced his concern, as a Jewish man, with recognizing the club.
“I’d like to ask, what exactly is meant by the term Israeli culture?” Majors said. “Is it Zionism, the ideology that internalized and validated centuries of European anti-semistism by declaring that we Jews are in fact weak and feeble, unable, unfit and undeserving to live in our homes in Europe?”
Sen. Newman questioned if Majors was against creating a safe space for Jewish students.
“To create a safe space for Israel based on the ideology of Zionism is to create a safe space for what is essentially an extremist, hateful ideology,” Majors said.
Speaker Rudolph emphasized the procedures of public forum in the Senate, calling the back and forth discussion “unnecessary.”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to continue this conversation about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza,” Rudolph said. “All we are trying to do is deal with a bill about students who want an Israel club that has very little to do with this.”
The chair of communications and vice presidential candidate, Sanah Feroz, asked senators to reflect on what passing this bill would mean for students in marginalized communities.
“I urge all of us senators to please keep in mind that you’re not representing the majority,” Feroz said. “You’re also representing minority students. We have a voice, and we need to be able to be here and speak on it.”
Sen. Peter Scola motioned to push voting on the bill until after spring break. The motion passed, and voting on the bill will take place on March 20.
Presidential candidate (and former Senator) Argha Goswami came to the meeting to speak on recent actions by Speaker Rudolph, who also holds the position of Election Committee chair.
Speaker Rudolph publicly endorsed the presidential ticket of Sen. Peckham and Sen. Buono during last week’s general assembly meeting as well as on social media.
“The action of Chair Rudolph openly endorsing a specific candidate created a perception of bias and favoritism that is fundamentally unfair to all the other three candidates also in this presidential election,” Goswami said. “This creates an unfair advantage for my opponent and compromises the integrity of this election.”
Speaker Rudolph refused to comment.
Sen. Newman raised a concern regarding Chair Feroz’s use of the official Senate Instagram account to “like” comments on Feroz’s personal account.
“I understand where you’re coming from, but you do realize that notifications come in at different times,” Feroz said.
In this week’s installment of the housing saga, Chair Hoover announced that a hearing will be held at the State House on Thursday pertaining to the potential overturning of the Housing Ordinance Bill. Chair Hoover urged senators to attend in University of Rhode Island apparel.
Two senators will be appointed to the new Transportation and Parking Committee at the request of Housing and Residence Life Assistant Vice President Tom Cooley.
The next Senate meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 13 in Room 300 of the Memorial Union.