The bill also said the statement would reaffirm support for divestment from a list of entities including “weapons manufacturers,” “investment firms and banks investing in weapons manufacturers” and "the state of Israel." This bill was passed with 19 in favor, one against and six abstentions.

JSU took issue with the inclusion of the phrase, “state of Israel” when the bill was introduced in the Jan. 16 meeting. JSU Rep. Zach Nessel said the general assembly should consider the impact it would have on the Jewish community on campus.

The statement posted via Instagram also argued that ASMSU continues to pass antisemitic and divisive resolutions. It called the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) Movement inherently antisemitic as it emboldens anti-Jewish sentiment on campus.

“Jewish and Zionist student voices have continued to be ignored and overlooked by ASMSU,” the statement read. “Bill 61-53 is not representative of the student body as it purposely silences the Jewish and pro-Israel communities at MSU.”

In a statement provided to The State News by Skylar Ebinger, the JSU vice president of educational affairs and chair of Spartans for Israel, and JSU Vice President of External Affairs Tyler Pohl, these grievances were reaffirmed.

Ebinger and Pohl wrote that they strongly condemn ASMSU for endorsing BDS and for antisemitic language present in the bill.

“The passage of Bill 61-53, along with ASMSU’s messaging, deliberately marginalizes and ostracizes the Jewish community,” they wrote. “We remain steadfast in advocating for our community, ensuring our voices are heard, and holding ASMSU accountable.”

Ebinger and Pohl also said the bill does not contribute to a productive discussion on the issue and added that it singles out the state of Israel as a country that participates in genocide and apartheid, calling this factually inaccurate.

Divestment campaigns also harm the Jewish community in several ways, Ebinger and Pohl said, as they deny Jewish people the right to self-determination and create hostility against a minority student group.

“This bill completely ignores the fact that Israel is fighting a war of necessity to bring the hostages home and dismantle Hamas, an organization whose stated goal is to rid the world of Jews,” Ebinger and Pohl wrote. “Israel is a nation built by the survivors of genocide, and it is again forced to fight a genocidal terrorist organization dedicated to its destruction. Accusing Israel of 'genocide' is not only false; it is also a modern-day iteration of the age-old antisemitic blood libel.”

ASMSU President Connor Le said in an email to The State News that ASMSU condemns any form of antisemitism and takes accusations of it very seriously. 

“The ASMSU General Assembly passes legislation to address the differing and diverse needs of the student body,” Le wrote. “While the language of 61-53 may be viewed as offensive to some communities, others on campus found it important to bring this issue to the General Assembly, the Board of Trustees, and the overall MSU community.”

Additionally, when ASMSU made a statement on Instagram announcing the passage of bill 61-53 and detailing what it meant, the post was soon taken down by Instagram. Le wrote that the statement was taken down due to it being mass reported.

Responding to the claim that ASMSU purposely silences Jewish and pro-Israel communities at MSU, Le wrote that ASMSU has a dedicated seat for JSU and that students always have the option to come to their GA meetings for public comment.