McGill University Rejects Israel Boycott Referendum

0:00It's March 25, I'm Cory with the story, and this is Canada News today. Your AI-powered local news. McGill University's president has rejected a student referendum at the law faculty, calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The vote passed with majority support among participants, but deep-sainty, the president since 2023, labeled it discriminatory and said, it holds no legal weight. The referendum, pushed by the Law Students Association and supporters of Palestine, aimed to cut ties with Israeli universities over their links to military actions in Gaza. It would have ended partnerships like student exchanges, but only targeted institutions, not individual scholars. Reactions have been swift, including the resignation of Jonathan Amiel, a key donor and chair of the Law Faculty's Advisory Board. He pointed to rising hostility toward Jewish students and faculty, along with unchecked protests and disruptions on campus, saying he emailed students that the move promotes

1:00anti-semitism and falls outside the association's authority. If adopted, the group risks losing McGill's name, campus access, and funding privileges. The university backs a Jewish student's court challenge filed on March 22, with a hearing set for Thursday morning. This comes amid ongoing campus activism and Montreal over the Israel-Hamas conflict, highlighting tensions between free expression and institutional policies.