Harvard law student government calls on university to divest from 'Israeli occupation and genocide'

BOSTON — After several months of turmoil on Harvard’s campus amid the Israel-Hamas war, the law school student government is calling on Harvard to divest from “Israeli occupation and genocide.”

The Harvard Law School Student Government on Friday voted to pass a resolution that urges the Harvard Management Corp. to “divest completely from weapons manufacturers, firms, academic programs, corporations and all other institutions that aid the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine and the genocide of Palestinians.”

The resolution also calls on all organizations at Harvard to “divest from institutions, weapons manufacturers, firms, academic programs, corporations, and all other institutions that aid the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine and the genocide of Palestinians.”

The divestment resolution reportedly passed 12-3, with four abstention votes.

The Cambridge campus has been bitterly divided since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, and the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Claudine Gay, the ex-president at Harvard, resigned earlier this year in the wake of the explosive congressional testimony about antisemitism on campus — and following allegations that she had plagiarized.

During Gay’s testimony, the former president refused to characterize calls for the genocide of Jews as a breach of Harvard’s code of conduct. After that bombshell hearing, the House committee said it was launching an investigation of antisemitic incidents at the school.

Pro-Palestinian student groups were celebrating the resolution vote on Friday.

“Harvard Law School Student Government passed resolution R.-207-001 calling on the Harvard Management Corporation and all institutions and organizations in the Harvard community to DIVEST from Israeli occupation and genocide!” Law Students for a Free Palestine posted.

A Harvard spokesperson declined to comment about the resolution on Friday.

The student groups noted that Harvard has divested from other interests in the past. For instance, Harvard in 2021 announced it would divest its endowment from fossil fuels.

“Divestment is urgent and necessary,” said an unnamed student with Harvard Law School Justice for Palestine. “The Harvard Management Corporation is on notice. Your students are dissenting. We call on you to immediately divest from genocide.”

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