The organization Students for Justice in Palestine says the owner of Sabra brand hummus is half owned by an Israeli company that provides financial support to Israeli military units accused of human rights abuses.The group's members have started a campus referendum to get it removed.
"It's not just kids on the playground...it's actually seems to have international repercussions," said Trent Carl, Students for Justice in Palestine.
Chicago Jewish leaders say the students are misstating the facts about the company that owns Sabra. They believe the DePaul group is part of a larger national movement. A similar campus referendum at Princeton several months ago failed.
"Really what they are against is the existence of the state of Israel, not this one product," said Michal Kotzin, Chicago Jewish Federation.
In the meanwhile, DePaul meantime has launched an investigation aside from the referendum, saying in a statement, "The committee is conducting research into the facts surrounding Sabra. They also have met with students on both sides of the issue to collect their input."
Voting on the referendum continues all week and ends Friday morning. Fifteen hundred students must vote and Students for Justice in Palestine needs the majority of those votes to get Sabra hummus removed.
