Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP) today commended the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (‘UAW”) for its clear and unequivocal rejection of university based UAW Local Unions’ efforts to promote and adopt anti-Israel BDS resolutions.
In a letter to UAW President Dennis Williams, Conference of Presidents Chairman Stephen M. Greenberg, and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein, said:
“We are writing to commend the recent decisions by the International UAW definitively putting an end to efforts by various university based UAW Local Unions of graduate students to promote and adopt resolutions calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions against individuals and companies doing business with Israel (“BDS”). We note the unambiguous conclusion in the Union’s International Executive Board decision stating “. . . it is our unanimous belief that the notion of BDS, credibly, espouses discrimination and vilification against Israelis and UAW members who are of Jewish lineage.” We fully support your conclusion that these measures reflect the manifestly anti-Israel and anti-Jewish bias inherent in the BDS movement.
The action taken by the UAW demonstrates it is at the vanguard of promoting justice, and reaffirms the tradition of fairness and staunch opposition to discrimination which are the bedrock of the American labor movement and our society.”
Messrs. Greenberg and Hoenlein added:
“We urge other unions, church groups and academic institutions to follow the UAW’s lead and hope they will take the same principled and moral stand against the blatantly discriminatory BDS campaign.”
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