Why Colleges Like Columbia, UCLA And Harvard Refused Demands To Divest From Israel

Student protests against the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict have brought battalions of police in riot gear to college campuses, enraged some billionaire donors, and led to canceled graduation ceremonies.

One constant refrain at these protests is the call for college endowment funds to divest from Israel and the many American companies that do business there. Tech companies such as Google and Amazon and defense contractors such as Boeing and Lockheed are on that list.

"These endowments are famously opaque," said Alison Taylor, clinical associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. "So there is very often not any information publicly available about what is happening to these funds. And that is, in fact, one of the student demands as well."

Putting divestment into practice, though, is a tall order. Some universities, such as the University of California, Berkeley, agreed to review their investments. However, many universities have ignored the calls to divest from Israel or companies that do business there.

"Universities are reluctant to divest on any issue because it might lower the returns on their endowment, which would affect their ability to serve the needs of future students," said Witold Henisz, professor of management at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. "If we introduce greater risk or lower returns in the endowment, there'll be less funds available to cover ... tuition assistance, to cover the running costs of the university for students who may not even be born yet."

Watch the video above to learn more about how divesting from Israel and companies who do business there would actually work, and how it would affect the tens of billions of dollars at stake in college endowment funds.

Produced by: Anuz Thapa
Edited by: Michael Hoyt
Narrated by: Jordan Smith
Graphics by: Jason Reginato
Supervising Producer: Jeff Morganteen

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Why Colleges Like Columbia, UCLA And Harvard Refused Demands To Divest From Israel

NBC: divesting never works but we should not divest.

[Thaddeus]

We will not stop we will not rest! Except for summer break 😅😅😅

[rmutter]

The Professor of Management at The Wharton School, Witold Henisz, conveniently failed to mention that the endowments for these elite universities also and primarily pay for their salaries and overhead, . Therefore, a reduction in endowment investment in industries of war can easily effect their pocketbook, so why would they change this system that benefits them so well?

[lwwudlo]

It’s not as if any institution in our modern world have any sense of integrity, responsibility or morality.

It just comes down to money and power. These schools are beholden to their biggest donors and supporters. Most of those people care minimally about this issue, but some of them blindly support Israel. Because these people are powerful and care deeply, the school will side with them over current students who are much less influential and powerful.

The people running things just want to keep their jobs and those jobs are more dependent on raising a 100 million a quarter to the 10 billion endowment than about anything else.

Some people in charge might even sympathize, but they care about the Palestinians as much they care about starving African children or the children stitching clothing in Bangladesh.

[yepyep]

This is why universities need to pay tax

[SZD.]

Maybe they forgot to study for a test again. This is the next best excuse after "we had a powercut last night" and "my dog ate my notes"

[yyhkodu]

No they won't They won't let the tail wag the dog.

[vutran]

You can protest and act crazy. Please do not divest your loan to us tax payer 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Bloodshotty]

Qatari investments in US higher education.

Among other schools, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh received $301 million from Qatar between 2020 and 2023. The Virginia Commonwealth University received $125 million between 2019 and 2023, and Georgetown University received $210 million between 2015 and 2023, according to the federal register.
Harvard, which has been embroiled in an antisemitism scandal that led to its president’s resignation, has taken over $8 million from Qatar since 2020.
Cornell, which has received a whopping $1.5 billion from Qatar since 2015.

[fastestdino]

Didn't these schools literally just record their most profitable year again or something?

[mikhail_fil]

Incorrect, south africa was strictly oil companies..

[markjustus]

Even in The Netherlands, Europe, students started to do this.

[tonykim]

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[anthonychi]

Look at South Africa now!!! What a vibrant democracy, developed nation free from racism, poverty and corruption!!!

[brucesinvestingseries]

Is call they are a customer. Not the business owner.

[lektusp]

what will cover the tuition of the University fees?? Why should taxpayers fund them??

[stephbli]

I’m attending online course at Columbia University! That’s crazy that it started in Columbia

[Mauricemaurice]

No. companies boycotting Israel are prohibited from receiving federal contracts/funding

[moereese]

The golden rule: the one with the gold, makes the rules.

[InfinityEightplus]

Because they don’t negotiate with terrorists? 😆