MORE than 2000 staff and students at the University of Edinburgh have called for an emergency vote to force divestment from firms supporting the Israeli military.
A petition, signed by 1250 students, 871 staff members and 11 university organisations, has been sent to the university’s court urging them to take “immediate and decisive action”.
Edinburgh University was previously named in a UN report as one of "the most financially entangled" institutions in the UK to Israel.
Francese Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, said the university’s investments were in violation of international law, human rights, and the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Her report stated that the university has nearly £25.5 million (2.5% of its endowment) in tech giants Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM314 which are “central to the Israeli surveillance apparatus and the ongoing Gaza destruction”.
In June 2024, the university froze further purchases of stocks in Alphabet and Amazon due to their support for the Israeli military, but students have staff have called for stronger action now that the genocide in Gaza has “escalated”.
The petition pointed to divestment by the universities of Swansea, Portsmouth, and Cambridge from “complicit companies”.
“The ongoing review of the investment policy does not absolve the senior leadership team and the university court from their responsibility to exercise due diligence and take immediate precautionary measures,” the petition reads.
“On the contrary, such measures are essential to prevent the continuation of grave violations of international law.
“Waiting until the destruction in Gaza is complete before acting would render us complicit, exposing court and the senior leadership to both ethical and legal accountability as enablers of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.”
It adds that divestment and other steps must be treated as “urgent obligations, not deferred considerations”.
It calls for immediate divestment from Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and those with “investments in companies complicit in Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity, and violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention”.
Any contracts and procurements with the firms named should be cancelled, and a “transparent and expedited” review process on indirect investments established, the petition demands.
One student, who did not wish to be named, told The National that reports by Albanese and a UN commission finding a genocide in Gaza were some of the reasons that led to the “renewed call”.
“We feel like it's time for them to actually start doing something about this,” they said, adding that when Russia invaded Ukraine, the university divested from Russian investment holdings a month later.
“At this point, there's really no excuse for them [not] to call a meeting with the court and actually provide concrete steps,” they added.
“Over the course of time, the student, and even alumni, support and staff support has just grown.
“While the university likes to think that we're a select few students who are causing ‘trouble’, it's unavoidable now to see that there's actually a large portion of us who are for action to be taken by the university to end complicity in the genocide.”
A staff member at the university, who also wished to remain anonymous, added: “The fact that the University of Edinburgh has revised its investment policy but has still not managed to divest from genocide is evidence of the process’s failure.
“If we reform our investment policy yet remain complicit in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, it means that our policy reform has failed, since it continues to bind us to the extermination of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
“Therefore, either the policy is failing us, or the senior leadership and court are deliberately choosing to keep us involved in genocide.
“Clarity needs to be made on this crucial point, and a vote for divestment has to be allowed immediately.”
Another staff member, who did not want to be named, added: “What we hope to accomplish under this divestment petition is for the court to take serious the push towards divestment, not as a kind of fringe movement, but as one central and core to the ethos of the kind of institutional culture we profess to be.
“We'd like to see some coherence between what the institution is claiming itself to be in a so-called moment of decolonial redress, we'd like to see the university live up to those standards.”
A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: “The scale of destruction in Gaza is unparalleled and has horrified our community and many others across the world. While our commitment as a global institution to act in accordance with our values is unwavering, it is essential that any actions taken are measured, responsible and taken in consultation with members of our community.
“That is why, following an institution-wide consultation inviting input from students and staff, the University has established a Responsible Investment Advisory Group.
"This permanent group, including independent and external experts, will inform the University’s future approach to responsible investment, carefully considering the diverse perspectives and concerns of our community.
"We will continue to engage and listen with those raising concerns.”
In May last year, 549 staff at the university signed a letter demanding that the university sever ties with Israel, expressing solidarity with the pro-Palestine student encampment set up on campus grounds.
We also told how, in July, students staged a walk-out of their own graduation ceremonies in protest at the institution’s links to Israel.
