AIPAC announces it will take over student government

In April 2010 at the national convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC], the organization’s Leadership Development Director gave a rousing speech. The speech, by Jonathan Kessler, was before student leaders who had been brought to the convention in Washington DC on a free, all expenses paid trip from 370 campuses from all 50 states. In it Kessler announced: “How are we going to beat back the anti-Israel divestment resolution at Berkeley? We’re going to make certain that pro-Israel students take over the student government and reverse the vote. This is how AIPAC operates in our nation’s capitol. This is how AIPAC must operate on our nation’s campuses.“ Kessler’s remarks, reported by JTA, concerned the March 18, 2010 16-4 vote by the Associated Students of the University of California Berkeley Senate to support a resolution calling for the university to divest from investment in companies providing military support to Israel. The resolution was vetoed by ASUC president Will Smelko on March 24. In January 2016 a similar resolution (divestment from companies complicit in human rights violations against the Palestinian people) passed 32-12 at the University of South Florida. It was similarly vetoed by the student government’s president and vice president, Andy Rodriguez and Michael Malanga. For more information and the full video, go to For information on the University of South Florida resolution, see