After several weeks of debate, the Student Senate finally passed a resolution related to the conflict in the Middle East on Tuesday.
Senators joined Gators for Israel’s president Rafael Yaniz in presenting a revised version of a resolution affirming support for the state of Israel. It passed 56-9.
A resolution is a piece of legislation that states the Senate’s opinion but takes no action.
The original resolution, presented at the Nov. 3 Senate meeting, asked the U.S. Congress to oppose the Goldstone Report, which accuses Israel and Hamas of war crimes during last winter’s Gaza conflict.
Rafael Yaniz, president of Gators for Israel, said the revised resolution no longer contains the clause regarding the Goldstone Report.
Instead, it now advocates a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict to be negotiated between Israel and Palestine.
Yaniz said the ability of the groups to work together shows the U.S. Congress and the community that students care about international issues.
Alex Kattan, vice president of Students for Justice in Palestine, said the group did not have a problem with the content of the resolution but felt the Student Senate should not be voting on an issue with such vast international implications.
He said the resolution could lead students to draft similar resolutions about other states.
He said these other resolutions seem unnecessary when it’s understood that students support the values of democracy and freedom.
“We as a group are not supporting the resolution,” Kattan said. “We are not opposing it either.”
Senators had mixed opinions about voting on a resolution about an international issue.
Orange and Blue Party Sen. Jon Ossip, who represents the Murphree Common Area, said Senate should be voting on issues that it actually has control over.
“While we’re doing this we could be discussing the Reitz Union fee,” Ossip said. “We could be discussing student safety.”
Unite Party Sen. Ben Meyers, who represents the sophomore class, urged senators to support the resolution.
“It’s inclusive and recognizes the needs and desires of both Israel and Palestine,” Meyers said.
Meyers said the resolution will be sent to Florida members of the U.S. Congress.
