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Posted By admin on February 27, 2017

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McGill University campus. Photo: Paul Lowry/Wikimedia Commons.

Jewish leaders at McGill University in Montreal attributed the ability of the student government rep who tweeted punch a Zionist to remain in one of his positions though he resigned, under pressure, from another to widespread anti-Israel sentimenton campus.

Simon Paransky, co-president of the student group Israel on Campus, told The Algemeiner that support forIgor [Sadikov] violent views led to a vote Wednesday not to impeach him fromthe Arts Undergraduate Society Legislative Council (AUS).

The problem is, I think, student government at McGill is composed mostly of people who think like Igor who mistakenly think that there is no way to criticize Israel or be anti-Zionist withoutbackingincitement, said Paransky. For a long time, Jewish and Zionist students have told me they that believe theMcGill student leadership is not on our side when it comes toissues of Israel and Judaism, and Ive tried to convince them we have other channels. But those channels are drying up. I worry that, institutionally, we have nomore avenues in student government to make ourvoice heard.

February 27, 2017 6:04 pm

Grace Miller-Day, an executive of McGills pro-Israel group, toldThe Algemeinerthat at theAUS meetingdetermining ifSadikov would be impeached,Far more students spoke in favor of himthan against him. The conversation became not about the violence Igor encouraged, but about theirpolitical views of Israel, Palestine and Zionism. Some said that they couldnt condemn himfor espousing violence against Zionism, because Zionism is inherently violent which is, of course, untrue.

Furthermore, she added, Students also said the threats Igor has personallyreceivedsince this whole thing startedoutweighed the threat he posed by advocating violence. It was distressing.

Miller-Day said that student leadership has thrown its support behind Sadikov, leaving students like her feeling like they are not welcome.

According to Paransky, the AUS first issued a call for Sadikovs resignation, butretracted it after the McGill principalinvolved herselfin the controversy, as The Algemeiner reported, and statedthat Sadikov must go.

Paransky welcomed the administrations intervention, saying,At this point, there is nothing more the pro-Israel communitycan do without it.

Independent student-run newspaper TheMcGill Tribune reportedlate last week that Sadikov stepped downfrom his role inthe Students Society of McGill University (SSMU) Board of Directors, andthe SSMU legislative council will be voting March 9 on a motion to removeSadikov from his remaining student government posts.

The Students Society, the AUS and Sadikov did not respond toThe Algemeiners request for comment.

McGill which ranked fourth onThe Algemeiners 2016list of the 40 Worst Colleges for Jewish Students in North America has been described by studentsas one of the most contentious institutions in Canada for Jews and Israel-supporters.

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'Punch a Zionist' Tweeter Enabled by McGill Student Government to ... - Algemeiner

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