American University’s Student Government Undergraduate Senate announced the creation of the Commission on the Divest from Occupation Resolution, which will research possible ways the University can sever financial ties with Israel amidst the war in Gaza, after months of student protests and support for the student encampment at George Washington University earlier this year.
Senator-at-Large and School of Public Affairs sophomore Kaden Ouimet, who chairs the committee, posted the announcement to his student government Instagram on May 24.
The commission has eight research objectives: a corporation boycott plan for SG, a boycott plan for three different Israel-affiliated study abroad programs, improving the University’s financial transparency, researching ways for AU to ethically divest from Israel, looking into how divestment affects student-free speech and safety concerns, how it affects the rights of student organizations and identifying ways to collaborate with University administration throughout its research on divestment solutions.
“I would say our point is researching and presenting an action plan for student government and American University at large to divest from Israeli occupation and the genocide of Palestinian people and Palestinian land,” said Speaker Pro-Tempore Hanna Hajdu, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The commission will not create or pass the policy for students, according to Hajdu. Instead, it will provide a series of research-based reports to create the foundation for further action by both student organizations and administration. The first of these reports is set to be published before the fall SG election.
The commission’s research will explore “sustainable divestment solutions” that will help replace current financial allocations from companies with ties to Israel such as Intel, Hewlett Packard and Goldman Sachs and minimize the impact on student finances.
“Creating an alternative investment portfolio that includes investments that are more profitable in terms of net return means we may see more benefits come from this for all students and faculty at American University,” said members of SG Comptroller's Office.
Other than financial impact, Ouimet also says that any action stemming from this commission will help encourage more classes that are centered in diverse historical contexts to help protect students’ freedom of speech.
“When academic and free speech liberties are threatened on campus, it kind of denies us our entire reason for being here and existing at AU,” Ouimet said.
The commission was approved and created through the student Senate’s Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) resolution, which passed in April in a 21-2 vote and was subsequently met by an email from former President Sylvia Burwell who rejected the resolution and any action it encouraged.
Members of the Comptroller's Office said they were disappointed but not surprised by Burwell’s response, as “what was more shocking and insensitive to the student body was the fact that it was the fastest email we have ever received from her in response to a critical moment for our University.”
Ouimet said that Burwell’s email following the vote “very quickly shut the door to cooperating with administration to see how we could do this [divestment] sustainably.”
In a statement to The Eagle, the University’s administration said they will continue to “oppose actions related to the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.”
“Such actions threaten academic freedom, the respectful free expression of ideas and views, and the values of inclusion and belonging that are central to our community,” said Elizabeth Deal, assistant vice president for community and internal communications. “Thoughtful exploration of issues is critical to constructive civic engagement, but that exploration must be based on open and comprehensive dialogue about the variety of views on a given issue.”
Despite friction with University administration, both Hajdu and Ouimet said that one of the commission’s main objectives is to equally represent student organization interests and “involve faculty members as much as possible in the process.” Among the 17 student representatives on the commission, two will be from the University chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, two will be from the University chapter of Jewish Voices for Peace and three will be from Dissenters at AU.
“We believe that these voices are absolutely essential in doing the work of the commission and they have been extremely helpful,” Hajdu said.
But some students, such as James Cox, a sophomore in the School of International Studies, are disappointed that organizations such as AU’s chapter of Students Supporting Israel and AU Hillel are not included in the commission.
“I find it interesting that [SG is] bringing in groups like Jewish Voices for Peace but not AU Hillel or Students Supporting Israel,” Cox said. “Because Jewish Voices for Peace has been a pretty small voice in the Jewish community relative to its membership size.”
In terms of including Jewish students in conversations about Israel, Ouimet says the commission will seek to provide equitable divestment solutions for all students at AU, including protecting free speech and expression for student groups.
“As a Muslim student, I love my Jewish brothers and sisters … and what we’re trying to do is create an environment that is safe and secure for Jewish students as well as Muslim and Palestinian students,” Ouimet said.
Hajdu also refuted claims of antisemitism within SG from both students and from AmeriPAC, an organization that describes itself as aligned with The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's values and is one of the organizations underneath AU Hillel, which demanded that some members of SG’s executive branch resign after the BDS resolution was passed.
“I can 100 percent say that the people in student government absolutely stand against antisemitism and any form of bigotry,” Hajdu said. “There is a misconception that being against Israel's actions towards and oppression of Palestinians is equivalent to being antisemitic. This we do not believe is the case at all.”
Cox said that the commission could heighten tensions between Jewish and Arab students, and that “AUSG has to be ready to ensure that whatever they do next doesn't lead to an escalation.”
Despite concerns of an escalation, SG officials said that their priority is students, whether that be their safety or their freedom of speech.
“When the students ask for change from us we aren’t going to sit back and wait, we are going to help lead it,” members of the Comptroller’s Office said.
Clarification: The article was updated to reflect AmeriPAC's relationship with AIPAC and its designation as an organization under AU Hillel. The article was also updated to reflect the correct spelling of Hanna Hajdu's name.
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy Editing done by Luna Jinks and Ariana Kavoossi.
