After Congressional Intervention, Death Threat, Ohio State Student Gov’t Rejects BDS Resolution
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by Andrew Pessin
The Ohio State University. Photo: Facebook
The student government at Ohio State University (OSU) on Wednesday rejected a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution against Israel, The Algemeiner has learned.
The vote on the resolution was different from other recent ones of its nature, however, as it involved intervention from members of Congress and an alleged death threat from a pro-BDS OSU student.
Cailin Pitt, a senior computer science and engineering major, ignited controversy Tuesday, the day before the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) was set to vote, with the following tweet: “Yo, if USG messes this up tomorrow I’m coming for everyone’s life tomorrow. Every one. Every single, blessed life. Every one.”
Twitter immediately lit up with outrage and condemnation, including tweets to the FBI over the apparent threat involved. Some time after the tweet was posted, it was deleted. The Algemeiner’s request for comment from Pitt was not immediately answered.
On Monday, three members of Ohio’s delegation to the US House of Representatives penned a letter to USG leaders, urging them to reject the BDS resolution.
In the letter, obtained by The Algemeiner, the three — Patrick Tiberi (R), Steve Stivers (R), and Joyce Beatty (D) — argued that BDS measures are “not reflective of the values that we as Americans hold dear,” are counterproductive,” and “create divisions on campus and inhibit constructive dialogue.”
“In this time of extreme partisan politics,” the letter concluded, “we are proud to come together and say in one voice that we oppose the BDS movement.”
The USG final vote was nine in favor of the BDS resolution, 21 against and 15 abstentions.
OSU joins other universities in rejecting BDS resolutions, including Northeastern, the University of Indianapolis and the University of Minnesota. On the same day as the OSU vote, coincidentally, the student government of Capital University, located just a few miles from OSU in Columbus, Ohio, passed a pro-Israel resolution, as reported Thursday by The Algemeiner.
