In the weeks following Northeastern's statement indicating would not divest from companies that do business with the Israeli military, students responded to the decision with a wide range of emotions — some with anger and determination, others with respect and gratitude.
Student organizations, including Divest Northeastern and Sunrise Northeastern, have been pushing for divestment from various military-industrial and fossil fuel companies for years and have responded with statements condemning the university and calling for further action. Others said they respect the university's stance and don't think divestment would be effective.
The university informed one FAQ article Originally published Dec. 11 in Northeastern Global News school media Feb. 14, answering the questions, “Will Northeastern cut ties with companies that do business with the Israeli military?” and “Will the university commit to divest its equity interests in these companies?” The school said it does not “impose a political test on employers” and will not limit students' experiential learning opportunities by severing ties with controversial military-industrial corporations such as Raytheon and General Dynamics;
“The refusal to divest or cut ties with companies involved in the ongoing atrocities in Gaza is an act of cowardice and complicity by Northeastern management.” Divest Northeasterna campus group advocating for the university to divest its resource from the fossil fuel industry wrote in a statement he posted on his Instagram page on February 20. “By hiding this decision on an obscure website, the university shirks its responsibility to cooperate and be accountable to its community.”
The university sent the FAQ to The News on Feb. 15 in response to questions about whether the school would take action months later advocacy by students, faculty and alumni asking the school to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and divest from companies that do business with the Israeli military.
Both Divest and East Northeast, a student group that advocates for climate and social justice on campus, is primarily focused on divestment from fossil fuel companies. Nevertheless, the groups have expressed their support for divestment from military companies, which have also connected to contribute to climate change. Sunrise kept one Event February 20 to write letters to President Joseph E. Aoun opposing the university's military-industrial investments.
The Northeastern Alumni for Palestine also issued a statement saying the group is “horrified” and “outraged” by the school's statement and “categorically rejects[s] Northeastern's latest refusal to disassociate itself from its ties to genocide.”
In its announcement the group cited the widespread movement on university campuses during the 1970s and 1980s when students demanded that universities divest from companies that had invested in South Africa's Apartheid government. Northeastern sold off its holdings in companies linked to South Africa in 1986, almost 10 years after Hampshire College became the first US university leaves apartheid.
Students at schools across the country have advocated for universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel. Although most schools have not issued statements or said they would not take immediate actionstudent government at the University of California, Davis recently achieved a landmark bill which would subsidize student fees from Israeli-linked companies.
Some students disagreed with the university, saying it would not take a position on political issues on which “reasonable people can disagree.”
“I think it's ridiculous for the university to claim that 'reasonable people can disagree' about what it means to aid in genocide,” said Noah Colbert, a fourth-year math and political science major. “Investing in large-scale death and destruction is not apolitical – if this were a matter of complicity in Russia's war in Ukraine, you wouldn't hear such things being said.”
“The university's statement that 'the donation should not be seen as a tool to serve particular political agendas or weigh issues on which reasonable people might disagree' is dishonest at its core,” Divest wrote in its statement. “All investments are political, and investing in the war machine sends a strong message in addition to supporting corporations.”
But some students in Israel advocacy groups who spoke to The News said they respect the university's decision and don't think divestment would be an effective tool in what divestment activists are trying to achieve.
“Divestment is something that has been used to target Israel,” said Sabrina Chevlin, a third-year psychology and music major and vice president of Huskies for Israel. “Helping the Palestinians is usually the goal, but I think divestment is targeting Israel and trying to break up the state of Israel instead of giving money and helping Palestinians and working with grassroots organizations.”
Chevlin said she believes the divestment is more of a symbolic move and that if Northeastern decides to divest from companies that do business with the Israeli military, it will “politicize” the school's endowment and involvement with other “countries, organizations and companies.” .
Mark Antar, a sophomore economics and finance major and president of Huskies for Israel, said there is an element of hypocrisy when students ask for divestment but continue to use products from companies that do business in Israel.
“All these companies that support Israel and feed its economy there in Israel and people who want to divest from Israel are using the products of these companies,” Antar said, adding that divestment would limit job opportunities for students .
“Northeastern's job is not to limit opportunities but to provide them,” he said.
In its response, Northeastern Graduates for Palestine said the university had “downplayed” and “downplayed” its role in the conflict.
“If a political test of whether or not a company is participating in the genocide of innocent people is comprehensible to Northeastern, then Northeastern is repugnant to any sense of morality,” the alumni statement said.
Stellan Vinthagen, a professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an endowed chair in the study of nonviolent direct action and political resistance, said universities historically only recuse themselves when their reputation or standing is affected.
“It happens in the ranking of the university [and] financing. If [alumni] You have an opinion on that, I think it matters a lot,” Vinthagen said.
Divest Northeastern is currently running the “No Donation Without Divestment” campaign, in which alumni pledge to withhold donations from the school until it “fully” and “transparently” divests from the fossil fuel industry. Graduates for Palestine too he said Members will not donate or support the school until it is deeded.
The university also has a vested interest in maintaining a good reputation with current and prospective students, according to Vinthagen.
“If students are asking questions about it, that might worry the university,” he said.
Historically, students have protested university investments for extended periods of time before schools agreed to the demands, according to Vinthagen. Despite that, he said, the university making such a statement is a sign that it is paying attention.
“They know what the students are doing,” Vinthagen said. “They recognize that this is something, so this is already a sign that something has been achieved.”
Editor's note: Noah Colbert contributes to the News opinion section.
