Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has made a decisive statement on the university’s stance regarding divestment from Israel, following intense pressure from pro-Palestinian protesters.
Despite their demands, the university will not be divesting funds from Israel, as confirmed by Shafik in a statement posted on the university’s website.
Shafik revealed that despite efforts to reach a “collaborative resolution” with the protesters who had set up an encampment on campus to protest Israel, no agreement could be reached. Shafik explained that the protest negotiators were seeking a “path that would result in the dismantling of the encampment and adherence to University policies going forward.”
“While the University will not divest from Israel, the University offered to develop an expedited timeline for review of new proposals from the students by the Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing, the body that considers divestment matters,” Shafik said in the statement.
“We urge those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse. We are consulting with a broader group in our community to explore alternative internal options to end this crisis as soon as possible. We will continue to update the community with new developments,” Shafik concluded.
The decision not to divest from Israel comes amidst a wave of university protests against Israel, with Columbia University at the center of the controversy. Concerns over safety prompted the university to transition all classes online for the remainder of the semester due to the escalation of violence from the protesters.
Shafik did clarify, however, that the university still plans on holding a commencement ceremony at the end of the semester.
“We owe it to all of our graduates and their loved ones to honor their achievement,” Shafik said.
Students engaging in the anti-Israel protests have been given a notice from the university to leave the encampment and pledge to follow the university’s policies or face suspension.
Columbia University has been one of many college campuses that have set up so-called “liberation zones” to protest university funds being directed towards Israel or organizations associated with the Jewish state.
