Muslim Students Association demands Israel divestment at University Council meeting

Student representatives from the Penn Muslim Students Association demanded divestment from Israel at the University Council meeting on Wednesday. 

Representatives for Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention, Disabled Advocacy @Penn, and MSA made requests to the council on Wednesday evening. University Council holds monthly meetings in the Hall of Flags open to the Penn community to voice concerns and proposals they would like the University to address.

MSA, whose divestment proposal was recently declined by the University Council Steering Committee, called on the University to "initiate an independent evaluation of the securities in the endowment to determine if any of them enable, facilitate, or profit from apartheid." 

Wharton junior and University Relations Chair of MSA Mouctar Diarra spoke at the meeting. He said that MSA was "exasperated" by the Steering Committee's decision to reject their divestment proposal despite "a staggering amount of evidence and reasoning to justify further evaluation and divestment."

After receiving a majority of votes from ballot respondents, MSA created a divestment proposal over the summer that was presented to the University Council Steering Committee on Sept. 23. The proposal listed 97 companies that the University should divest from based on their roles in facilitating or profiting from Israeli settlements in the “occupied Palestinian territory.” 

The proposal claimed that involvement of these companies in Israeli settlements constitutes a “moral evil” and asked the University to divest from its holdings if these companies do not cease such activities within 12 months. It also called for the formation of an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Divestment to investigate whether these companies violate the University’s social responsibility guidelines.

"The fact that Penn isn’t evaluating its investments to ensure that they don’t profit from apartheid is reprehensible," Diarra said. "Not a single person on this campus, administrator or otherwise, can say with 100% certainty that Penn doesn’t hold investments that enable oppression," he continued.

Diarra called on the University to initiate an independent evaluation of the endowment to determine if any of its securities "enable, facilitate, or profit from apartheid." 

“The Steering Committee, following the established University guidelines and procedures for such consideration, determined that there is insufficient basis for further consideration. The matter is now closed,” a University spokesperson told The Daily Pennsylvanian. The spokesperson reiterated Penn’s opposition to boycotts, divestment, or sanctions against Israel. 

"In the face of unethical leadership, it is incumbent on every member of the community to demand accountability and transparency," Diarra said in his speech. "The endowment is money meant to benefit us. We have a right to know where that money comes from and what strings are attached to it." 

Diarra also asked whether the University would confirm that Penn Police initiated the recent search of an off-campus house allegedly housing pro-Palestinian activists. Vice President of the Division of Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson confirmed that the search was carried out by Penn Police.

The raid occurred on Oct. 18 and was made public on social media Monday evening by Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine. The University's Division of Public Safety confirmed that police officers searched an "off-campus location" that followed "all proper policies and procedures." 

Diarra then asked and asked what the DPS plans to do in response to the Muslim community members feeling “unheard, unseen, and ignored,” especially given increased security and police department presence on campus.

Shields Anderson responded, “We see you, we hear you,” while moderator Melissa Wilde encouraged the meeting to move to the next agenda item.

Shields Anderson confirmed that the search was carried out by Penn Police. Wilde did not respond to the question and moved onto the business section of the meeting. 

The meeting then transitioned to concerns within Penn's disabled community.

College junior and undergraduate member of the University Council Zawadi Sankofa spoke on behalf of the Disabled Advocacy @Penn. Sankofa voiced concern about insufficient break time between classes. She said that the short breaks cause students — especially those with disabilities — to skip meals.

Interim Penn President Larry Jameson also provided an update on the Higher Education Sexual Misconduct and Awareness Survey, which was sent out at the end of the spring 2024 semester. 

“We’re still in the process of analyzing it, and while John and I noted that the rates have dropped, it still continues and even one example is unacceptable,” Jameson said. “I want to encourage you and your constituent groups to read the full survey results and understand that we need everyone on campus as partners in eliminating something that’s so common." 

College junior and undergraduate member of the Steering Committee Anna Bellows, who represents Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention, asked the University to provide funding for the organization to provide sexual assault prevention and support. 

“Funding and supporting these organizations beyond a year-to-year structure is how organizations will have resources and critical support productive in the long term,” Bellows said.