The New York University (NYU) Student Government Assembly passed a divestment resolution inspired by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) on December 6th by a vote of 35 in favor, 14 against, and 14 abstaining, meeting the ⅔ threshold that was 33 votes. This is the first resolution of this nature ever to be presented at NYU. The “Resolution on the Human Rights of Palestinians” calls for divesting from corporations that violate Palestinian human rights and calls on NYU to adopt a socially responsible investment policy that upholds human rights for all. The resolution was presented by Senators-at-Large Bayan Abubakr and Rose Asaf along with Alternate Senator-at-Large Leen Dweik. Asaf, Abubakr, and Dweik are all seniors at NYU and members of Students for Justice in Palestine. Additionally, Asaf is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace.

NYU SJP logo

“I co-authored this resolution because I have a role and stake in the Palestinian struggle for liberation and justice. To quote Lilla Watson, all of our liberations are bound together. As a first-generation Sudanese-American Muslim, I cannot idly stand by as the institution that I attend perpetuates imperial violence in Palestine and beyond. I want NYU to reckon with the fact that it profits off of the destruction of Palestinian livelihoods, communities, and homes.” – Bayan Abubakr, Senator-at-Large and Students for Justice in Palestine NYU member.

Targeting three corporations – Caterpillar Inc., Lockheed Martin, and General Electric – the resolution brings attention to the ways in which these corporations violate Palestinian human rights. The resolution calls on the university to divest from these companies as well as others complicit in human rights abuses of Palestinians and globally. The resolution ultimately calls on the university to implement a socially responsible investment model, which would put in a place a screen to ensure the university’s investments that uphold human rights for all.

“As a Palestinian, this resolution is deeply personal to me. As an NYU student, it hurts and shocks me that the university would continue to invest in companies that directly contribute to the human rights violations of my family and my people.” – Leen Dweik, Alternate Senator-at-Large and Students for Justice in Palestine member.

The resolution is supported by 61 student groups listed in Appendix A. These include the undergraduate student government of the NYU Silver School of Social Work, the Black Student Union, the Interfaith Students of Color Coalition at NYU and the NYU College Libertarians, amongst others. In addition to these clubs, there are 34 faculty endorsements who are listed in Appendix B. The presentation of the resolution comes a month after more than thirty student groups at NYU pledged non-cooperation with the NYU Tel Aviv campus. This also comes weeks after student activists organized to get a talk by Milo Yiannopoulos cancelled. NYU’s study body now joins Barnard College’s, which passed a referendum in support of divestment last year.

“As an American-Israeli Jewish person, I am co-authoring this resolution because of my identity — not in spite of it. I believe that I, as a Jewish person, have a responsibility to support Palestinians in their struggle for justice and liberation. NYU likes to give the illusion that it is a progressive institution, but how progressive can it actually be when it is actively funding human rights violations?” – Rose Asaf, Senator at-Large and Jewish Voice for Peace-NYU member.

The resolution will next need to be heard by the University Senate, consisting of students, faculty, deans, and staff. If the resolution passes University Senate, it will be sent to the Board of Trustees for consideration.

Appendix A: Supporting Groups

1. Advocate Coalition (Against) Trafficking at NYU (Re-ACT)
2. African Heritage Month
3. African Student Union
4. NYU Aftab Literary Magazine
5. NYU Against Fascism
6. Arab Students United
7. Asian American Women’s Alliance at NYU
8. Asian Heritage Month
9. NYU Asian Pacific American Coalition
10. Bella Quisqueya (BQ)
11. Black and Brown Coalition at NYU
12. NYU Black Muslim Initiative
13. Black Students Union (BSU)
14. Brownstone Publication
15. Campgrrl
16. NYU Coalition on Law & Representation (CoLR)
17. NYU College Libertarians
18. NYU Disorient
19. NYU Divest for Climate Justice
20. NYU Dream Team
21. Gentlemen of Quality (GQ)
22. GSOC-UAW Local 2110 — The Union for Graduate Employees at New York University
23. Haitian American Students Association (HASA)
24. Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc.
25. Incarceration to Education Coalition
26. NYU International Socialist Organization
27. NYU Jewish Voice for Peace
28. La Herencia Latina
29. Latinos Unidos Con Honor y Amistad at NYU (LUCHA)
30. NYU Law Students for Justice in Palestine (LSJP)
31. Malaysian Students Association
32. NYU Mexican Student Association (MexSA)
33. Mosaic: The Interfaith Students of Color Coalition at NYU
34. MuCh — Muslim Christian Dialogue at NYU
35. Muslim Graduate Student Group
36. NYU Muslim Students Association
37. National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) at NYU
38. Native American and Indigenous Student Group at NYU
39. The Omicron Chapter of Phi Iota Alpha
40. Pakistani Students Association at NYU
41. NYU PorColombia
42. NYU Sanctuary Student Taskforce
43. SHADES: For LGBTQ Students of Color and Allies at NYU
44. Shuruq: Islamic Heritage Month
45. NYU Slam! Poetry Club
46. NYU Students Against Gentrification and Expansion
47. NYU Students for Justice in Palestine
48. Student Labor Action Movement at NYU
49. NYU Tandon Muslim Students Association
50. Turkish Student Association at NYU
51. T-Party at NYU
52. NYU ¡Viva Perú!
53. NYU Young Democratic Socialists of America
54. Biracial and Multicultural Student Association
55. NYU-Wagner’s Black Student Association
56. Justice Initiative at Global Public Health NYU
57. Map Club at NYU
58. Nutrition Without Borders at Global Public Health NYU
59. NYU Silver Undergraduate Student Government Association
60. Bioethics @ NYU
61. Anthropology Undergraduate Student Association

Appendix B: Faculty Support

1. Andrew Ross, Professor
2. Arang Keshavarzian, Associate Professor
3. Arun Kundani, Visiting Assistant Professor
4. Barbara Weinstein, Silver Professor
5. Bertell Ollman, Professor
6. Diana Taylor, Professor
7. Elaine Freedgood, Professor
8. Fred Moten, Professor
9. Gianpaolo Baiocchi, Professor
10. Greg Grandin, Professor
11. Harty Field, Professor
12. James S. Uleman, Professor and T-FSC Senator
13. Jeff Goodwin, Professor
14. Jini Watson, Associate Professor
15. John Michael Archer, Professor
16. Kathy Engel, Associate Professor
17. Lenora Hanson, Assistant Professor
18. Lisa Duggan, Professor
19. Maria Josefina Saldaña-Portillo, Professor
20. Marie Cruz Soto, Clinical Assistant Professor
21. Marie Monaco, Associate Professor
22. Mark Crispin Miller, Professor
23. Monica Kim, Assistant Professor
24. Nicholas Mirzoeff, Professor
25. Paula Chakravartty, Associate Professor
26. Rebecca E. Karl, Professor
27. Renee Blake, Associate Professor
28. Sonya Posmentier, Associate Professor
29. Thuy Linh Tu, Associate Professor
30. Timothy J. Reiss, Emeritus Professor
31. Valerie Forman, Associate Professor
32. Vasuki Nesiah, Associate Professor of Practice
33. Vivek Chibber, Professor
34. Zachary Lockman, Professor