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University of California Irvine's Muslim Student Union.

Background:

For years, Orange County Zionist Jewish organizations have been using false charges of anti-Semitism to try to silence the Muslim Student Union (MSU) for its Palestine solidarity activities. These groups have now convinced the UC Irvine Administration that MSU does nothave a right to exist as a campus organization.  Electronic Intifada summarizes the events of the past academic year: "In response to intense political pressure by multiple pro-Zionist organizations, administrators at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have recommended the suspension of Muslim students' right to assemble and practice their faith together on campus. Alleging that emails anonymously "leaked" to the university prove that the Muslim Student Union was responsible for a protest of Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren'scampus appearance by eight UCI students, the administration plans to suspend the more than 250-member Muslim Student Union for a year beginning in September, and place it under intense scrutiny and disciplinary probation if the student group is allowed to re-apply for recognition in the fall of 2011. The student group is appealing this proposed ban, contending that the MSU did not sponsor theprotest, and that the students arrested for interrupting Oren's speech were acting as individuals. Members have also challenged UCI's moves to impose what their attorney Reem Salahi has described as "nothing but collective punishment" by proposing to suspend the entire group over a political protest. The ban would become official after a final university decision, pending the outcome of a hearing and if the student group's appeal fails." (Read the rest of the article at: http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11374.shtml)

On April 15, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) held a conference atDublin Castle to implement the ICTU's 2009 BDS resolution. Invitedinternational panelists included Omar Barghouti (PACBI), Mary-Jo Nadeau (Labourfor Palestine-Canada), and Michael Letwin (IJAN-Labor and Labor forPalestine-U.S.), all of whom opposed anti-BDS speakers from the Histadrut andJewish Labor Committee. For this meeting, IJAN-Labor and LFP-U.S. also producedbriefing papers on the role of the Histadrut and the Jewish Labor Committee;these are posted at: http://www.laborforpalestine.net/wp/2010/06/15/important-new-lfpijan-briefings-on-histadrut-and-jewish-labor-committee/.David Landy, a leading Irish BDS activist, described the conference as"one of the most significant events yet in Palestinian solidarity work inIreland." His complete report is posted at: http://jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com/2010/04/irish-trade-union-solidarity-with.html

Briefings on the Jewish Labor Council as well as on Labor Zionism and the Histadrut are available to read and download by clicking on "read more".