UK university divests from firms supplying Israel army

Middle East Monitor 09 November 2018

In the first move of its kind, a United Kingdom university has divested from companies that supply military equipment to the Israeli army following a student campaign. The University of Leeds recently made the decision to divest from three companies which were found to be complicit in the violation of Palestinian human rights, reports the Middle East Monitor.

The three companies are Airbus, United Technologies and Keyence Corporation. A fourth company – HSBC – is also under review by the university’s investment managers for its provision of loans to Elbit Systems, Caterpillar and BAE Systems, all of which sell weapons and military equipment to the Israeli government.

The move came after it emerged that the University of Leeds had invested £2.4 million (US$3.1 million) in these companies this year alone. Students, staff, societies and alumni of the university then published an open letter to the vice-chancellor calling for the cessation of investment in the four firms. The move has been hailed as a victory for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
Full report on Middle East Monitor site

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