The advocate group vows to continue fighting, accusing the class of profiting from “human rights abuses.”
According to Harvard University, activist student demands to leave Israel, and the proposal would “declare an administrative position” on a contentious issue.
Following a recent conference with the student group, University President Alan Garber wrote in an email to Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine that the school would hardly “use its investment funds to accept a disputed view on a complicated issue.”
During the conference, HOOP proposed a “human rights funding plan speech” and the development of a work force to examine Harvard’s investments, particularly targeting divestiture from companies associated with Israel.
Garber claimed that the proposal resembles prior demands to withdraw from Israel, which the school has continuously rejected because it is too politically charged.
The plan states that Israel is engaged in both segregation and murder, that its territorial holdings are improper, and that Harvard Management Company should take steps to reduce its purchase exposure in accordance with previous needs, according to the leader.
Additionally, he explained to the students that the school’s “investment strategy is designed to support the academic mission, not as a direct instrument of social or political change.”
According to Garber, Harvard aims to foster open debate, and excluding Israel would “declare an institutional position” and undermine the institution’s “fundamental goal.”
The divestment group charged Garber of endorsing” a deeply political and irresponsible view: that Harvard will continue to make money off of human rights abuses” in an emailed response.
It further condemned the president’s decision in an Instagram post Monday, writing,” Garber’s definition of human rights stops at Palestine”.
His disinterested in engaging confirms that he enjoys profits from any human rights violations Harvard is a part of, the group wrote.
The organization added that “divestment is inevitable as the movement for Palestinian liberation grows.”
” While Israel launches terrorist attacks on Lebanon, bombards Yemen and Syria, and burns people alive in Northern Gaza, our calls must grow LOUDER”, it said.
In exchange for a meeting with President Garber to discuss implementing a “human rights investment policy,” HOOP agreed to end its 20-day campus camp last spring, according to the Crimson.
The group suggested that the school vow” not to invest in companies that’ directly facilitate or enable severe violations of human rights, which might include, but are not limited to, acts of apartheid, illegal occupation, and genocide.'”
Not only Harvard is the only university to reject student demands for a divestment from Israel.
Last month, Wesleyan University’s board of trustees rejected a plan written by students to divest from companies tied to the Israel-Hamas war, The College Fix previously reported.
Despite a student and faculty-led divestment campaign that started last fall, the University of Virginia also announced in September that it would not break financial ties with Israel.
Following a student referendum, University of Pennsylvania President Larry Jameson made the announcement in July that the university would n’t divest from Israel.
MORE: Anti-Israel Harvard students condemn new vice president
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