The Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) held its annual spring general meeting on campus Wednesday evening.

Four motions were addressed on the agenda, including the controversial “Refraining from Political Issues” motion, which was put forward by fourth-year politics and governance student, Eitan Gilboord, who is also the head of the Israeli Students’ Association.

The motion intended to prevent the RSU from taking sides in any polarizing foreign policy issue. 

“I think a Student Union … is to unite students,” said Gilboord while presenting his motion. “By taking sides you’re not promoting peace.”

The motion was eventually rejected, as many students spoke to the Palestine and Israel conflict — as a reason for the motion not to pass. 

The York Federation of Students at York University recently adopted a position boycotting Israel, which led to controversy over discrimination on their campus.

Meanwhile, the other motions considered all passed. They included: 

a) A motion to rename the current textbook grant program to the emergency bursary program. The motion states that the emergency bursary program should provide financial assistance to those in a marginalized community. 

b) The RSU will lobby to the university to allow for more student feedback and input on budgetary issues. This motion also calls for the RSU to work with other student and labour groups on campus to create an alternative 2014-2015 budget that reflects the needs of students, staff and faculty. 

c) A call to the RSU to lobby for more graduate student space on campus, as well as consult with grad students about their space needs.