UNC seeks to divest from companies that support the Israeli occupation of Palestine

Students, faculty, and staff at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are calling on the university to divest from companies that support the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

A resolution calling for divestment was introduced to the UNC Board of Trustees in February 2022. The resolution argues that the university's investments in companies that support the occupation are "ethically unsustainable" and "harmful to the university's reputation."

The resolution has been endorsed by over 100 student organizations, faculty members, and staff members. A group of students has also been camping out on the steps of the Old Well, the university's iconic landmark, to protest the occupation and call for divestment.

The UNC administration has not yet taken a position on the resolution. However, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz has said that he is "committed to listening to all perspectives on this issue." He has also said that he is "deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Palestine" and that he supports "a just and lasting peace in the region."

The divestment movement is gaining momentum on college campuses across the United States. In recent years, several universities, including Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and Stanford University, have divested from companies that support the Israeli occupation.

The divestment movement is part of a broader movement to boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS) Israel. The BDS movement was launched in 2005 by Palestinian civil society organizations. It calls for the international community to boycott Israeli products, divest from Israeli companies, and sanction the Israeli government until it complies with international law.

The BDS movement has been endorsed by a number of international organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council. However, it has also been criticized by some, who argue that it is counterproductive and will only harm the Palestinian people.

The divestment movement is a complex and controversial issue. However, it is an important issue that deserves to be debated and discussed on college campuses and beyond.