Anti-Israel student demonstrators at Brown University claimed a victory Tuesday when the school reached an agreement to hold a vote on divesting from Israel if the protesters tear down their encampment. Brown would be the first university in the United States to hold such a vote.
As part of the agreement, five students will be invited to meet with five members of the Corporation of Brown University this month to argue in favor of divesting Brown’s endowment from companies profiting from an alleged “genocide in Gaza.” A vote will be held in October.
“VICTORY!! BROWN COMMITS TO DIVESTMENT VOTE!” Brown Divest Coalition posted on X in celebration of the agreement. The group said the administration “conceded to students’ demand” to vote on divestment after years of pressure.
“Brown University Hillel completely supports President Paxson’s push to end the so-called encampment,” executive director of Brown-Rhode Island School of Design Hillel Rabbi Joshua Bolton told the Washington Examiner in an interview. He pushed back on characterizing the decision as a “concession” to anti-Israel students because “Brown is not going to divest from Israel.”
Bolton said he is in favor of “taking the necessary steps to clear the encampment and to allow campus life to resume its natural flow of the year,” even if that means there will be a vote on divesting from Israel. “Who’s afraid of a divestment vote?” he asked rhetorically.
In announcing the deal, Brown University President Christina Paxson said the loss of life in Gaza has “prompted many to call for meaningful change,” but stopped short of condoning the encampment, which she noted was in violation of school policy.
“This sends the message that disruptive behavior works, and it indicates a potential expansion of the DEI regime to include set-asides for Palestinians,” Richard Hanania, president of the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology, told the Washington Examiner. He said it may also convey “that Brown considers Jewish students as supporting a morally unacceptable cause.”
Campaigns to boycott, divest, and sanction Israeli entities have put pressure on universities to cut ties to the Jewish state, and Carly Cooperman, CEO and pollster at Schoen Cooperman Research, previously told the Washington Examiner that these campaigns are a major contributor to Jewish students feeling unsafe on campus.
Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, director of the pro-Israel campus group AMCHA Initative, said the Brown and Northwestern agreements send a “horrible message to Jewish students” because the goal of BDS campaigns is to “demonize and delegitimize” supporters of Israel.
On the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction website, organizers write the goal of the organization is to urge “nonviolent pressure on Israel.”
“BDS aims to end international support for Israeli violations of international law by forcing companies, institutions and governments to change their policies,” according to the website.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Brown Divest Coalition and pro-ceasefire Jewish group Jewish Voices for Peace for comment.
With the House set to vote on the Antisemitism Awareness Act on Wednesday, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle shared their thoughts with the Washington Examiner about the agreement between Brown University and the anti-Israel protesters.
“Radical Marxists are prompting antisemitism and openly supporting Hamas terrorists on college campuses across America,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said. “Sadly, Brown University is caving to their demands.”
He added, “There should be a zero-tolerance policy applied to protesters who threaten the safety of their classmates. This behavior is appalling and absolutely unacceptable. By appeasing these thugs, Brown simply ensures it will face a similar situation again in the future.”
“Appeasing antisemitism is not part of the solution,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said. “It is part of the problem.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to vocal critics of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war for their thoughts on the matter, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Northwestern’s agreement with anti-Israel protesters on Tuesday included a number of concessions, as well as the re-establishment of an Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility. They did not commit to vote on divestment from Israel.
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Jewish advocacy groups, including the ADL, StandWithUs, and the Brandeis Center have called on Northwestern University president Michael Schill to resign for “rewarding [anti-Israel demonstrators] for their hate.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Brown University for comment.
