University of Edinburgh Named as One of the Most Financially Entangled Institutions in the UK to Israel

Strategic Insights -

A United Nations (UN) report on corporate complicity with Israel's occupation and the genocide in Gaza has named the University of Edinburgh as one of the most financially entangled institutions in the UK to Israel. The report, authored by UN special rapporteur Francese Albanese, highlights the university's investments in tech giants Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM, which are central to Israel's surveillance apparatus and the ongoing destruction in Gaza. According to the report, the university holds nearly £25.5 million in these companies, making it one of the most financially entangled institutions in the UK. The report also criticizes the university's partnerships with firms aiding Israeli military operations, including Leonardo S.p.A. and Ben-Gurion University.

Key Takeaways:

  • The University of Edinburgh has been named as one of the most financially entangled institutions in the UK to Israel by a UN report on corporate complicity with Israel's occupation and the genocide in Gaza.
  • The university holds nearly £25.5 million in four tech giants (Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM) central to Israel's surveillance apparatus and the ongoing destruction in Gaza.
  • The university's investments include both direct and indexed investments, making it one of the most financially entangled institutions in the UK.
  • The university partners with firms aiding Israeli military operations, including Leonardo S.p.A. and Ben-Gurion University, through the AI and Data Science Lab at Ben Gurion University.
  • The report highlights the university's lack of action in response to staff and students who have highlighted concerns about the university's investments and ties to Israel.
  • A senior lecturer at the university has anonymously spoken out, calling on the university to take action and suspend its investments in companies complicit in human rights violations.
  • The university has already frozen additional purchases of stocks in Amazon and Alphabet, but staff argue that this is not enough and that the university should divest from all companies mentioned in the UN report.

Statistics:

  • £25.5 million: The amount of money invested by the University of Edinburgh in tech giants Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM.
  • 2.5%: The percentage of the university's endowment held in these companies.
  • 549: The number of staff at the university who signed a letter demanding that the university sever ties with Israel last May.
  • 1948: The year in which the Genocide Convention was ratified.

Sources:

  • Francese Albanese, UN special rapporteur on Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory
  • United Nations (UN) report on corporate complicity with Israel's occupation and the genocide in Gaza
  • The National: "University of Edinburgh named as one of the most financially entangled institutions in the UK to Israel"
  • The University of Edinburgh's website: "Responsible Investment"