Students for Justice in Palestine at New York University published this video to mark the growth of their divestment campaign on campus. The group has collected over 200 signatures from professors, staff, and students calling on pension fund giant TIAA-CREF to divest from Veolia, Caterpillar, Elbit, Northrop Grumman, and Motorola Systems — corporations that profit from Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian people.
One thing to look out for is the clear and convicted support from NYU faculty members. Typically, when supporters of the Israeli occupation unjustifiably frame efforts like these as hostile or anti-Semitic, job security becomes an increasingly important factor for professors and staff members to consider. There have been cases in the past when even the slightest support of Palestinian rights has led to censorship attempts and even tenure denial. But the NYU community has stood firm in their call for full divestment.
Keep an eye out to see how far this campaign goes on the NYU campus and on campuses across the United States in the coming months.
Sami Kishawi
