Related Issue
September–October 2024
University News
Divestment: Students for & Against
Two groups of activists made their case this spring
By Russell Morse / September–October 2024
August 26th, 2024
In late April, Brown administrators made a deal with pro-Palestinian protesters to end their encampment peacefully. One term of the agreement was that five students would be allowed to meet with five members of the Corporation to advocate for “divestment from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territory.” When the agreement was announced, pro-Israeli students contacted administrators to request their own meeting to express concerns about the divestment proposal.
In May, two meetings—each with five students and the same five Corporation members—were held privately. BAM later spoke with a student attendee from each meeting.
ILLUSTRATION: TIM COOK
Aboud Ashhab ’25
Representative, Brown Divest Coalition
“I’m from Palestine. I lived in the West Bank most of my life. I’ve been tear-gassed multiple times, I’ve seen settlers damage my relatives’ land and houses, my dad and my relatives have been imprisoned by the Israeli army indefinitely.
“I was one of the five students, based on my experience as a Palestinian living under occupation, who met with Corporation members to discuss divestment. I shared my on-the-ground knowledge about how these companies affect the daily lives of Palestinians. For instance, I know from personal experience that the tear gas used against Palestinians is made by Safariland [a U.S.-based company].
“So in late May we met with five members of the Corporation and gave them a presentation about why we need divestment, the history of divestment at Brown, and Brown community support for divestment. We also shared our personal experiences, those of us who grew up in Palestine.
“When we were done presenting, the members had questions, which we answered. We’d all heard about Barry Sternlicht, New York City billionaire—when he heard about Brown’s decision to vote on divestment, he told the New York Times that he would withhold all funding to Brown. They brought this up and we said donors such as him, who are very few, act in bad faith. Overall, I felt that they asked genuine questions and were genuine in listening to our concerns.
“I’ve been tear-gassed multiple times”—and the supplier is a U.S. corporation.
“The meeting was very early in the morning and it was pouring rain. When we left and walked outside, we felt, I guess, content. In light of what’s going on in Palestine, I don’t think anything is a major victory. I think these are just roadblocks and obstacles that we are getting out of the way.”
Ashhab’s group of five later put together a press release saying BDC “rejects the premise of institutional neutrality...especially as Brown...has pursued political divestment campaigns in the past, including from South African apartheid and the Sudanese genocide in Darfur.” It also endorsed a 2019 advisory group recommendation that Brown divest from companies “profiting from the Israeli occupation,” which President Paxson had decided not to bring to the Corporation.
Brooke Verschleiser ’25
President, Brown Students for Israel
“Israel is very tied to my Jewish identity. I identify as a Modern Orthodox Jew and I’ve spent a lot of time living in Israel. I went twice after October 7 and went to the scene. It’s devastating. Then to be on campus and see people unwilling to condemn it … October 7 was wrong, whatever you think about the conflict. Murdering, raping, and burning civilians should never be okay.
“I was actually in Israel when I learned that part of the agreement to end the encampment was for members of the divest coalition to have a meeting with members of the Corporation. I felt [protesters] were getting this reward for breaking the rules, and the people who didn’t aren’t getting that same opportunity. So I reached out to President Paxson.
“The five of us really wanted to focus on our experiences. We prepared a document about how divestment is not a tangible goal, it’s not productive, and it would largely be symbolic. But we used the meeting to share our experiences. We talked about people we knew in Israel who were being held captive, people who were killed, and what it was like on campus for students who identified openly as Zionist. My impression was that the members of the Corporation were shocked. I don’t think people realize how toxic it got on campus.
“I felt [protesters] were getting this reward for breaking the rules.”
“I think they were incredibly receptive to what we had to say, incredibly respectful. They said the vote is going to come down to the quality of the arguments presented to them and they’re going to analyze [them] seriously.
“I think Brown’s a great place. It’s amazing we’re all able to have these dialogues. I think it’s sad that some people take it over the line. But you’re not putting yourself out there if you’re not a little uncomfortable.”
Verschleiser predicts a pro-divestment vote would worsen campus antisemitism. She declined to share the document her group submitted, saying the Hillel website statement “summarizes our argument pretty well.” That statement says the divest movement “amounts to a fundamental opposition to the existence of the State of Israel and unjustly singles out the Jewish state and advocates for its demonization and isolation.”
