The CUNY Graduate Center Student Government approved a boycott resolution to prohibit student activity fees from being used to purchase goods “that support or benefit the US-backed Israeli occupation of Palestine,” a move criticized by critics as anti-Semitic and illegal.

The boycott list includes Sabra brand hummus and related products, Starbucks coffee, food and beverages from McDonald’s, Burger King, Papa Johns, and “fruits or vegetables grown in Israel.”

Other blacklisted items include HP computers and printers, Siemens appliances, Sodastream equipment or products, and Ahava cosmetics, according to the adopted resolution Last Friday by the Graduate Center’s Doctoral and Graduate Student Council (DGSC).

The boycott also covers “events or publications that cooperate with or promote Israeli academic institutions.”

The edict – passed by 31 votes to 8 to 8 with 5 abstentions – takes effect on November 1.

“The DGSC does not allow its resources or the student fees it raises to be used in connection with products or services that support or benefit the US-backed Israeli occupation of Palestine,” the resolution said.

The student council said it will add a statement to refund forms, grant forms and the room
reservations about the boycott.

“Violation of this policy may result in cancellation or revocation of DGSC resources,” the student council said.

The resolution drew rebukes from current and former members of academia.

“It is an absolute violation. You can’t make Jewish students pay the fees used for harmful activities against them,” said Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, former CUNY board member.

He added: “Absolutely 100% it is anti-Semitic.”

Brooklyn College science professor David Seidemann said the resolution appears to infringe on the free speech rights of students who support Israel or disapprove of their dollars being used to support an anti-Israel boycott.

“First, student government is funded by money that is raised and paid for by CUNY and maintains space at CUNY. Withholding publicly funded resources from those with different political beliefs — as the council rule threatens — constitutes viewpoint discrimination, a violation of the First Amendment,” Seidemann said.

He also noted the New York governor’s executive order mandating state entities “to divest all public funds that support the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel.”

Under that order, the CUNY Board is required to defund the graduate student council, Seidemann argued.

Meanwhile, a letter sent by 70 CUNY students and faculty to Chancellor Felix Matos-Rodriguez complained about radicalized student council leaders who are obsessed with their own narrow political agenda rather than serving all students.

“Not only does DGSC not encourage a sense of belonging to a diverse community, it also actively suppresses discussion and promotes the exclusion of certain student groups from its activities. The exploitation of power by DGSC officers and representatives to advance their own views is not only deeply offensive to some of the students, but could harm their future careers,” CUNY students and faculty told the chancellor.

“We expect the Alumni Center administration to demand that the DGSC act as an impartial representative organization of the student body or be stripped of its representative powers and lose university approval and access to student funds,” critics said.

The DGSC’s five-page resolution also calls on NYU to support boycott, divestment and other sanctions against Israel.

“Drop!: CUNY must immediately and completely divest from companies that produce weapons and technology used for Zionist settler violence,” the doctoral and graduate student council resolution said.

“Boycott!: Ban all academic travel to Israel; including birthright, Fulbright and future travel. Cancel all forms of cooperation with Israeli academic institutions, including events, activities, agreements and research collaborations.”

They also urge “solidarity” with the Palestinians and recognize the right of all “colonized peoples” to stand up to the “colonizers.”

The measure also recommends taking the NYPD and IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) “off our campuses.”

The board also called for CUNY to offer free tuition “so that CUNY is not beholden to private Zionist and imperialist donors.”

CUNY schools were affected by anti-Israel campus violence last spring, including occupation of the CUNY Graduate Center Library and a series of unruly protests on the Upper Manhattan campus of the City College of New York (CCNY) that provoked over $3 million in damages.

CUNY had no immediate comment.

last month, a probe initiated by Gov. Kathy Hochul found CUNY needs a top-to-bottom overhaul to combat “alarming” anti-Semitism fueled by its own faculty and do-nothing superiors.

“I feel compelled to note that recently there have been an alarming number of unacceptable anti-Semitic incidents targeting members of the CUNY community,” said retired state Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who issued the report after a 10-month review.

“So many people don’t feel safe on campuses, and that’s at the heart of the problem.”