List of U.S. Colleges Advocating for Divestment From ‘Israel’

Pro-Palestine protests have swept university campuses across the United States, with calls for the alienation from “Israel” or Israeli-affiliated institutions.

As student protests and movements increasingly gained momentum, hundreds of arrests were made as police tried to thwart their efforts, and the government mobilized to introduce legislations that would ultimately punish those participating. 

Israeli lobbyists and the Israeli government are relentlessly pressuring US government officials to take more action against such movements in an effort to silence the criticism targeted toward “Israel” and demands to divest from the occupation.

Democratic US Congressman Ritchie Torres announced on Friday that he will introduce legislation to establish so-called anti-Semitism monitors for federally financed institutions in the United States, amid growing pro-Palestine demonstrations on campuses around the country.

However, pro-Palestinian voices have not been silenced despite all attempts to muffle their calls. In this context, it is worth mentioning the significant and prominent steps some student movements and university organizations have recently taken to divert from “Israel” and its web of affiliations.

City University of New York CUNY

In 2021, CUNY’s Law School’s student council voted for instating a resolution supporting the BDS movement and urged the university to divert from its inks with “Israel”.

Its efforts were clearly dismissed when the college’s chancellor issued a statement saying the student council’s action represents their personal belief, and does not represent the university itself.

“CUNY does not support and to be clear cannot participate in BDS activities, and is required to divest public funds from any companies that do,” he added.

Binghamton

A similar resolution was voted for in Binghamton University, with its Student Association (SA) Congress voting in favor of the BDS in April 2024.

The SA issued a statement declaring opposition to institutions that fund or arm “Israel”, such as BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin, saying they refused to indirectly fund “an industry that manufactures weapons of war and mass destruction” through allocated portions of their tuition. 

In response, a university spokesperson said the student body speaks for itself, not the university administration, and condemned any resolution in support of BDS. 

“During this time, maintaining a safe and secure environment for everyone on campus remains the University’s top priority. A dedication to safety will remain unwavering as it strives to uphold the freedom for students and faculty to pursue their educational and professional endeavors without fear or obstacles.”

New York University Department of Social and Cultural Analysis

In 2021, the department of Social and Cultural Analysis at NYU voted in favor of severing ties with the university’s Tel Aviv campus through a resolution for non-cooperation. 

The resolution passed, de-sponsoring Tel Aviv’s faculty and cutting inter-campus faculty exchanges.

“With respect to this departmental vote: it’s a little puzzling as to what form it would take, as our Tel Aviv campus does not draw on the department of social and cultural analysis for its academic program,” NYU spokesperson John Beckman said on the resolution.

Case Western Reserve University

In 2022, the Undergraduate Student Government at Case Western Reserve University passed a resolution urging the university to examine its investments in Israeli companies.

According to the Case Western Reserve Observer, the resolution advocated for divestment from companies involved in “the construction, upkeep, or economic advancement of illegal Israeli settlements, outposts, and roads and transportation systems exclusively for settlers in occupied Palestinian territories.”

Nevertheless, University President Eric W. Kaler expressed disappointment with the resolution shortly after its passage, as per his statement.

“I pledge that Case Western Reserve will continue to be a place welcoming to all. Vigorous political debate is welcome and encouraged, but hate towards any group will be opposed at every step, including categorically rejecting the calls to action outlined in this resolution,” Kaler said. 

University of California, Davis

In February 2024, the UC Davis student government (ASUCD) endorsed a BDS resolution, which restricts the allocation of the group’s budget to companies that endorse “Israel”.

As stated in an Instagram post by the group, “The bill passed prohibits the expenditure of any portion of the $20 million ASUCD budget on companies implicated in the occupation and genocide of Palestinians, as outlined by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. This means that none of the student fees funding ASUCD operations will go towards financially supporting over 30 companies complicit in Zionist violence, including McDonald’s, Sabra, and Chevron.”

A university spokesperson said the student body operates independently from the administration. 

UCLA

In February 2024, the UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council and Graduate Student Association both endorsed a BDS resolution, citing “Israel’s” involvement in “apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and genocide” against Palestinians, as per UCLA’s Daily Bruin.

Nonetheless, UCLA released a statement denouncing the resolutions, stating that they “conflict with the stance of the University of California and UCLA, which, along with all other UC campuses, have consistently rejected appeals for boycotting and divesting from Israel.”

Harvard 

The Harvard Law School (HLS) Student Government has passed a resolution urging the university to completely divest from any organization that supports the Israeli war on Gaza.

The measure urges the Harvard Management Company (HMC), which manages the school’s $50 billion endowment, “to divest completely from weapons manufacturers, firms, academic programs, corporations, and all other institutions that aid the ongoing occupation of Palestine and the genocide of Palestinians.”

The resolution’s author, Swap Agrawal, expressed that some Palestinian students at the school have “lost dozens of family members in the ongoing genocide,” noting that students reported feeling strongly that it was “necessary to put pressure on things to change.”

The HLS Student Government alludes to Harvard’s commitment of nearly $200 million in businesses linked to the Israeli occupation military and illegal settlements in Palestine, as well as HMC’s prior divestment from South African apartheid and the tobacco industry in 1990.