Ali Abunimah of the Electronic Intifada discussed DePaul students’ recent vote to ban Sabra hummus:
Students at DePaul University in Chicago voted by a large margin in a referendum asking if they support ending sales of Sabra brand hummus on their campus. Due to a technicality, however, the result will not be binding. A note received by The Electronic Intifada from campus activists with Students for Justice in Palestine at the university announced today the results of voting that took place earlier this week:
Results of the referendum: 1127 voted in favor; 332 voted against ; 8 extraneous write ins. To be valid a referendum must have a turnout of no less than 1500 students. Although we had an amazing win, the referendum is not valid as we were 36 votes short. But this isn”t over. SJP will make a statement about what”s next for the campaign.
The referendum question on the ballot was:
“Sabra, which currently supplies hummus to the DePaul cafeteria, is co-owned by the Strauss Group. The Strauss group provides financial support and supplies to the Golani and Givati brigades of the Israeli military, which have been found by the United Nations to be violators of human rights. Are you in favor of replacing Sabra with an alternative brand of hummus?”
Earlier this month, students supporting the ban explained in a video and accompanying statement the rationale for their campaign:
Founded in 1986 as Sabra-Blue & White Foods, the company was sold to Israeli food manufacturer the Strauss Group in 2005, a corporation known for its explicit support for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), namely the elite Golani and Givati infantry brigades. Although the IDF itself has a long history of violating international law, the Golani and Givati Brigades, since 1948, have been notorious for their severe human rights abuses in Lebanon and Palestine. The brigades have recently attracted attention for their atrocious war crimes during Israel”s three-week assault on Gaza that killed over 1,400 Palestinian men, women and children, most of whom were unarmed civilians. The Strauss Group”s active support for the Golani and Givati brigades is an active endorsement of egregious violations of human rights. We call on all people of conscience to boycott Sabra and all other products manufactured by Israeli corporations that support the State of Israel”s policies of ethnic cleansing and occupation of the Palestinian people. It”s time to pressure Israel to comply with international law. Let”s boycott!
In a similar and widely-publicized referendum late last year, students at Princeton University defeated a referendum calling for an alternative to Sabra hummus in campus dining facilities by a vote of 1,014 to 699.
