Yale students decide to divest from Israel in 80-20 vote

Yale University students have voted in favour of a referendum calling for the institution to divest from companies involved in the production of military weapons, including those supplying arms to Israel.

The referendum, proposed by the pro-Palestinian Sumud Coalition, passed with significant margins.

The results saw 83.1 per cent of students voted in favor of divesting from arms manufacturers, 76.6 per cent supported divesting from other military contractors, and 79.5 per cent backed investments in Palestinian academic initiatives.

With over a third of the student body voting “yes” on all three questions, the referendum met the participation threshold required by the Yale College Council (YCC) constitution, ensuring its passage.

A total of 3,338 students, or 49.5 per cent of the student body, cast their votes, surpassing the turnout for previous referendums.

The referendum presented three key questions. The first asked whether Yale should disclose and divest from its holdings in military weapons manufacturers, particularly those that supply arms to Israel.

The second question focused on divesting from other military suppliers, while the third called for the university to invest in Palestinian scholars and students.

Student organisation Yale Friends of Israel, xpressed disappointment with the results but emphasised their belief that Yale’s investment policies would not change.

In a statement, they said, “While we are disappointed by the results, we are confident that Yale University will not divest from democracy — that it will continue to invest in companies that assist in the protection of the United States and its allies, including Israel, from the tyrannical and anti-democratic forces that wish to destroy them and democracy itself.”

Yale College Council President Mimi Papathanasopolous  and Vice President Esha Garg said that they would send a formal letter to University President Maurie McInnis by December 11, outlining the referendum’s results and urging the administration to take action based on the student body’s decision. 

Han Pimental-Hayes, an organiser with Sumud, stated, “University leaders have long tried to paint pro-Palestine and pro-divestment students as a fringe minority. The results of this referendum demonstrate that the movement for a free Palestine and a more ethical endowment is overwhelmingly popular.”

The passage of the referendum comes amidst ongoing debates over universities' roles in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In April, nearly 200 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered at Yale, resulting in the arrest of 44 students after a three-day sit-in was brought to an end by police.