Following extensive review, the Board committee tasked with studying a request for divestment from companies with ties to Israel has not recommended divestment.
The review by the Board’s Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSSR) was prompted by an Expression of Concern signed by 293 students, 47 faculty, 17 staff and 163 alumni. It requested divestment from more than 40 companies, including a Canadian grocery chain that sells Israeli products, restaurant and entertainment firms operating in Israel, and others. The petition-type document argued that the companies’ activities constituted support for the actions and policies of the government of Israel, and their impacts on Palestinians.
On Dec. 12, after careful study, the CSSR shared its findings with the Board. It found that “the allegation that the selected companies are causing social injury on the grounds that their products or services are being used by the state of Israel or by its population” was not sufficient to show that the firms met the criterion of “social injury” per the committee’s terms of reference. For this and other reasons, it did not recommend divestment.
The CSSR underscored that it has a mandate to study questions of social responsibility with respect to the investment of endowment funds, not to take sides in geopolitical conflicts. It noted as well that McGill’s endowment is funded entirely by donations and bequests, not tuition.
McGill’s Board of Governors accepted the CSSR’s findings.
“We are grateful for the thorough review undertaken by the CSSR,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini. “The Committee fulfilled its mandate to carefully study the arguments shared in the Expression of Concern.”
Saini noted that although the Expression of Concern’s 520 signatories represent a very small percentage of our 50,000 campus community members and 300,000 alumni, the CSSR’s work was vital.
“It is absolutely essential that McGillians have avenues to share their concerns, and to ensure those concerns will be heard and considered.”