Members of the ASUA Senate weighed in on the conflict in the Middle East last night and expressed their support for Israel by passing 9-1 a resolution drafted by the Arizona Israel Alliance.
More than 30 students attended the senate meeting in the Picacho Room at the Student Union Memorial Center to show support for the Statement of Peace resolution that called for an end to terror in Israel and the Middle East.
The resolution stated countries such as Israel have a right to defend themselves against terrorism with "its own legitimate measures."
Alison Orologio, president of the Arizona Israel Alliance, who drafted the resolution, said approving the resolution would show student solidarity with Israel and support for the end of terrorism.
The resolution, signed by 4,000 students, allows the Associated Students of the University of Arizona to demonstrate its leadership by taking a stand on a global issue, Orologio said.
Sen. Sara Birnbaum said the senators should approve the resolution because so many students supported it.
"It is clear how they want us to vote," she said. "Remember your constituencies."
Sen. Soral Karim, the only senator who didn't approve the resolution, said he still had reservations about the resolution because it didn't reach out to enough students and organizations. A number of organizations expressing support for the resolution were associated with the UA Hillel Foundation.
Nesreen Khashan, co-president of the Alliance for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, said she was disappointed that her organization was not involved in the formulation of the resolution.
Khashan said she supported the spirit of the resolution, but that it excluded other people in the world who have been victims of terrorism, including Palestinians.
"That document is going to potentially alienate a lot of people," she said.
If the resolution had been more inclusive, the document would have been a step toward ending the endless cycle of violence in the Middle East, Khashan said.
The Arizona Israel Alliance, College Republicans, Students for Bush and various organizations within the UA Hillel Foundation supported the resolution.
Some of the organizations could not sign the resolution, as they had to get approval from their national chapter, but they did give verbal support.
Sen. Blake Buchanan said the resolution showed more student support than any other resolutions approved this year.
"There is definitely enough support," he said.
Jenny Rimsza, a business administration senior, said she realized the senate was hesitant about approving the resolution since it dealt with sensitive issues, but that no one would question their support if they approved it.
She said by passing the resolution, the senate would be doing nothing different from what the U.S. government has done.
"You are only adding your support," she said.
The ASUA Senate approved the Appropriations Board Consent Agenda for $2,596.13 in special funding for four clubs.
The National Society of Black Engineers requested and received $1,000 to attend the NSBE National Conference in Dallas, Texas, on March 20. The conference will feature a competition where participants design airborne structures from balsa wood.
The American Marketing Association also requested and received $1,000 to attend its national competition and conference in New Orleans, La., from March 25 to 27.
Christian Business Leaders requested $3739.46 but only received $449.46 to hold its Maximum Impact Simulcast conference via satellite at the First Southern Baptist Church on April 30. The conference would include three speakers.
The Institute of Transportation Engineers received $146.67 to attend the Arizona ITE conference and competition in Phoenix from March 10 to 11.
The original request for $216,21 included food, which the board does not fund, so the request was dropped accordingly.
Delegates from the Conference on Student Government Associations spoke to the ASUA Senate about what they learned during a four-day conference at Texas A&M University.
COSGA is a student-run conference from Feb. 21-24 that provides a chance for student leaders from across the nation to exchange ideas and share experiences.
At this year's conference there were more than 600 representatives from student governments around the country.
Stephanie Hartz, COSGA delegate and senator-elect, said the conference enabled her to learn about other student governments.
She said many of the student governments at the conference were bicameral with a senate and a house of representatives.
She said such a system was a lot more representative of the student body, yet wasn't as efficient as the system at the UA.