ResolutionUrgingCornellUniversitytoDivestfromCompaniesProfitingfrom

IsraeliOccupationandHumanRightsViolations

(1)Whereas,CornellUniversitystrivesaspartofitsmissionto"enhancethelivesofits
students,thepeopleofNewYork,andothersaroundtheworld,

(2)Whereas,CornellsStandardsofEthicalConductcallfortheuniversitytoconduct,process,
andreportallfinancialtransactionswithintegrity

(3)Whereas,Cornellstudentshavealegacyofadvocatingforjustice,includingincampaigns
fordivestmentfromapartheidSouthAfricaandunsustainablefossilfuels,

(4)Whereas,weaffirmthecrucialroleofstudentsandscholarsinfindingandadvocatingfor
solutionstohumanity'svariouscrises,andallmanifestationsofoppressionandracism,
includingantiSemitism,aswellastostateactionslikeoccupation,

(5)Whereas,theoccupiedPalestinianterritoriesarecontrolledmilitarilybytheIsraeli
government,

(6)Whereas,theoccupationentailsviolationsofthefundamentalhumanrightsofthe
Palestinianpeople,includingbutnotlimitedtorightsenshrinedintheUniversal
DeclarationofHumanRights,

(7)Whereas,theIsraeligovernmentisengagedintheongoingbuildingofsettlementsinthe
occupiedPalestinianterritories,whichviolatestheclauseoftheFourthGeneva
ConventionstipulatingthattheOccupyingPowershallnottransferpartsofitsown
civilianpopulationintotheterritoryitoccupies,upheldbytheUNSecurityCouncilin
Resolutions237,252,298,and446,

(8)Whereas,theseparationwallwhichtheIsraeligovernmentisbuildingintheWestBankhas
beendeclaredcontrarytointernationallawbytheInternationalCourtofJustice,

(9)Whereas,UnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyaffirmedinResolution3175thatallmeasures
undertakenbyIsraeltoexploitthehumanandnaturalresourcesoftheoccupiedArab
territoriesareillegal,

(10)Whereas,theUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyfurtheraffirmedinResolution3005the
Principleofthesovereigntyofthepopulationoftheoccupiedterritoriesovertheirnational
wealthandresources,andfurthermorecalleduponallStates,international
organizationsandspecializedagenciesnottorecognizeorcooperatewith,orassistin
anymannerin,anymeasuresundertakenbytheoccupyingPowertoexploitthe
resourcesoftheoccupiedterritoriesortoeffectanychangesinthedemographic
compositionorgeographiccharacterorinstitutionalstructureofthoseterritories,


(11)Whereas,CornellUniversityholdsportfolioanddirectinvestmentsincorporationsthatprofit
fromIsrael'smilitaryoccupationoftheWestBankandtheGazaStrip,therebymaking
Cornellacomplicitthirdpartyinhumanrightsabusesandviolationsofinternationallaw,

(12)Whereas,thefollowingillustrativeandnonexhaustivelistofcorporations,inwhichCornell
invests,profitsfromIsraelsmilitaryoccupationandparticipatesactivelyintheseabuses
andviolations,

(13)Whereas,TataMotorsproducesspecializedarmoredvehiclesfortheIsraeliarmy,
designedforurbancombat,whichIsraelusestodefenditsillegalsettlements,toprevent
Palestinianshepherdsfromherdingtheirland,andtosuppressPalestinian
demonstrations,

(14)Whereas,SodaStreammaintainsitscentralproductionplantinMaaleAdumim,anillegal
IsraelisettlementlocatedintheWestBank,

(15)Whereas,IngersollRandcreatesandproducesthetechnologyusedatIsraelicheckpoints
acrosstheoccupiedPalestinianterritories,

(16)Whereas,RaytheonsuppliesIsraelwithmissilesthatareusedagainstcrowdedresidential
areassuchasrefugeecamps,andfortargetedassassinations,

(17)Whereas,CornellUniversitycontractswithcorporationsthatprofitfromIsraelsmilitary
occupationoftheWestBankandtheGazaStrip,therebymakingCornellacomplicitthird
partyinhumanrightsabusesandviolationsofinternationallaw,

(18)Whereas,thefollowingillustrativeandnonexhaustivelistofcorporations,withwhich
Cornellcontracts,profitsfromIsraelsmilitaryoccupationandparticipatesactivelyin
theseabusesandviolations,

(19)Whereas,G4SprovidessecuritysystemsforIsraeliprisons,detentioncenters,and
interrogationfacilitiesthatspecializeinholdingPalestinianpoliticalprisoners,security
servicesforvariousbusinessesinillegalIsraelisettlements,andtechnologyforIsraeli
checkpointsintheoccupiedPalestinianTerritories,andprovidesdeportationservicesto
arangeofgovernments,usingtechniquesthatfailtomeetminimalstandardsofhuman
rights,

(20)Whereas,HewlettPackardmaintainsadevelopmentcenterinBeitarIllit,anillegalIsraeli
settlement,providesservicesandtechnologiesfortwoofthelargestillegalIsraeli
settlementsintheWestBank,ModiinIllitandAriel,andsuppliescomputertechnologyfor
Israeliministryofdefense,

(21)Whereas,CornellUniversityupholdstheprincipleoffreedomwithresponsibility,which
entailseducatingourselvesasmembersoftheCornellcommunityaboutthelocationof
universityinvestmentsandtheethicalimplicationsofthoseinvestments,

(22)Beitresolved,thatCornellUniversitywillfurtherexamineitsassetsforinvestmentsin
companiesthata)providemilitarysupportfor,orweaponryto,theoccupationof
Palestinianterritoryorb)facilitatethebuildingormaintenanceoftheillegalseparation
wallorthedemolitionofPalestinianhomes,orc)facilitatethebuilding,maintenanceor
economicdevelopmentofillegalIsraelisettlementsonoccupiedPalestinianterritory,

(23)Beitfurtherresolved,thatCornellUniversitywillmakeinformationaboutallofitsassets
public,pertainingespeciallytoitsinvestments,

(24)Andbeitfinallyresolved,thatCornellUniversitywillenditscomplicitywiththeIsraeli
occupationofthePalestinianterritoriesanddivestitsholdingsfromtheaforementioned
companiesandanyothercompaniesthatprofitdirectlyfromIsraelimilitaryoccupationin
theWestBankandtheGazaStrip.Moreover,CornellUniversitywillnotmakefurther
investmentsincompaniesthatmateriallysupportorprofitfromIsraelsoccupationof
Palestinianterritory.

StudentAssemblySponsors
IngeChen,iyc5
NickVasko,nfv4

CommunitySponsors
LubabahChowdhury,lrc57
AbuYusifDaniel,chd46
KeanuStryker,kms422

Appendix

Thisappendixprovidescontextfortheresolution,itsclaims,anditsgoals.Itbeginswithan
accountoftheIsraelioccupationofthePalestinianterritories,thenexplainshowCornells
divestmentwillcontributetoendingtheconflictandachievingpeaceinIsrael/Palestine.
AftertheArabIsraeliWarof1967(otherwiseknownastheSixDayWar),Israeloccupied
theGolanHeights,theSinaipeninsula,theGazaStrip,andtheWestBank.Shortlythereafter
IsraelreturnedcontroloftheSinaitoEgypt,butretainedcontrolovertheGolanHeights,theGaza
Strip,andtheWestBankasoccupiedterritory.1 TheseterritoriesremainunderIsraelimilitary
occupationtoday.2 Thisoccupationhasentailed,andcontinuestoentail,humanrightsabuses
andviolationsofinternationallaw.Israelhastransferredhundredsofthousandsofsettlersonto
occupiedWestBankland,establishedhundredsofIsraelimilitarycheckpointsacrosstheWest
BankthatrestrictthefreedomofmovementofPalestinians,andbuiltaseparationwallostensibly
betweenIsraelandtheWestBank,butwhichreachesrepeatedlyintoWestBankland,
confiscatingthatlandforIsrael.3
Broadinternationalconsensus,extendingtoGeorgeW.Bush4 andThomasFriedman,
acknowledgesthattheIsrael/PalestineconflictcannotberesolvedsolongasIsraelcontinuesto
maintainandexpandsettlementsintheWestBank.5 Israel,astheoccupyingforce,andasone
oftheworldsmostpowerfulmilitaries,alliedwiththeworldsmostpowerfulmilitary(theU.S.),
holdsdisproportionatepower.Untilthemilitaryoccupationendsandthehumanrightsabuses
andviolationsofinternationallawstop,therecanbenoendtotheconflict.YetIsraelhas
repeatedlyfloutedinternationallawandU.S.requeststhatitrefrainfrombuildingsettlements.To
thisend,Palestiniancivilsocietycalledin2005foraninternationalmovementforboycott,
divestment,andsanctionsasanonviolentmethodtopressureIsraeltoenditsoccupation.6
Thisresolutionisouranswertothatcall.ItjoinsHampshireCollege,EvergreenState
University,theUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley,theUniversityofCaliforniaatSanDiego,the
UniversityofCaliforniaatIrvine,theUniversityofMassachusettsatBoston,andOberlinCollege,
allofwhichhavepassedresolutionstodivestfromcompanieswhichprofitfromtheIsraeli
occupationofthePalestinianterritories.Dozensmorecollegesanduniversitiesarecurrently
writingresolutionsandwillmovetopasstheminthecomingweeksandmonths.Muchasthirty
yearsago,whencampusesacrosstheU.S.divestedfromSouthAfricanapartheidandhelped
bringanendtothatregime,todayU.S.collegesanduniversitieshaveamoraldutytodivestfrom
theIsraelioccupationofthePalestinianterritoriesandbringforthitsend.

Idith Zertal and Akiva Eldar, Lords of the Land (Nation Books: New York, 2007).
Eyal Benvenisti, The International Law of Occupation (Oxford University Press, 2012).
3
International Court of Justice, Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, Advisory Opinion, July 9 2004, available at: http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/131/1671.pdf.
4
The Public Papers of the Presidents: George W. Bush, 2002 (Government Printing Office, 2005).
5
Thomas Friedman, Sheldon: Irans Best Friend, NYT, April 5 2014.
6
President Obama said on March 21 2013 that Israelis must recognize that continued settlement activity is
counterproductive to the cause of peace.
2