Yale students have overwhelmingly passed a referendum calling on the university to divest from weapons manufacturers arming Israel. While the school has said it will not do so, the results reveal widespread support for divestment at one of the top universities in the world.
Of the more than 3,000 undergraduates who voted on the referendum, 76.6 percent answered "yes" to the question about divestment. An even larger number—79.5 percent—said that Yale should "invest" in "Palestinian scholars and students" given "the widespread destruction of schools and universities in Gaza."
Though only half the student body voted in the referendum, that number is higher than the turnout rate for past ballot measures, according to the Yale Daily News. In total, more than a third of undergraduates voted for divestment.
The referendum is the latest sign that Israel, which has long enjoyed bipartisan backing in Washington, D.C., is losing support on the elite campuses that produce policymakers and legislators. Students at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania both passed similar resolutions this year, albeit with substantially lower turnout than Yale. All three universities have said that they will not divest from Israel.
The referenda are part of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement that seeks to end Western support for the Jewish state. While most often associated with college campuses, BDS resolutions have been passed by a wide range of institutions, from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to the city council of Portland, Maine. MSCI, an investment ratings firm, has also been accused of giving lower Environmental, Social, and Governance scores to companies that do business with Israel.
The Yale referendum was proposed by the Sumud Coalition, a pro-Palestinian student group, and likened the Jewish state’s war in Gaza to the 2006 genocide in Sudan.
"In the past, Yale has divested from companies linked to apartheid in South Africa (1978-1994), genocide in Sudan (2006), and mass shootings in the US (2024)," the question about divestment read. "Should Yale divest from military weapons manufacturers and suppliers, including those arming Israel?"
A separate question about investment transparency noted that in 2021, Yale disclosed its holdings in fossil fuel companies because of the "global climate emergency."
"Should Yale also disclose its investments in military weapons manufacturers and suppliers, including those arming Israel?" the question read. Of the voters, 83.1 percent answered yes.
Yale declined to comment on whether the referendum would affect its stance on divestment. "Throughout the voting process, many undergraduate students and other members of the Yale community—including graduate and professional school students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents—shared their views openly with one another and with Yale University leaders," the school said in a statement. "The university remains committed to fostering an academic environment where all can feel a sense of belonging.
Update Dec. 10, 1:00 p.m.: This piece has been updated to include comment from Yale University.