The third category believes hosting such an event is inappropriate at a public university which operates using community funds. In this category we have many of those directly or indirectly responsible for the distribution of those funds, City University of New York trustee Jeffrey S. Wiesenfeld, Assemblyman Dov Hikind, and a majority of the New York City Council.
Although it appears certain that the BDS event will take place tonight as scheduled, the controversy over this matter may continue.
The Jewish Press obtained a letter sent by the Center for Law and Justice of the Zionist Organization of America to Brooklyn College President Gould.
That letter lays out a litany of concerns regarding the intimidating atmosphere for students within Brooklyn College’s political science department, as described to ZOA by BC students, including the department’s sponsorship of the BDS program. The ZOA has recommended a series of steps “to remedy the hostile environment” within the political science department, “in accordance with Brooklyn College’s legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.”
The spokesperson for Brooklyn College, Jeremy Thompson, told The Jewish Press prior to this article’s publication that a formal response to the ZOA letter had not yet been prepared.