Smith College has declined to advance an Israel divestment proposal pushed by Students for Justice in Palestine and Smith Alums for Justice in Palestine, concluding that the proposal did not meet the criteria required to move forward to the Board.
The school’s advisory committee cited concerns around mission alignment, societal impact, community consensus, financial impact, fiduciary responsibility, and practical implementation.
BDS campaigns are not sound institutional policy. They single out the world’s only Jewish state, divide campus communities, and pressure universities to adopt ideological positions that often deepen hostility toward Jewish and pro-Israel students.
Colleges have a responsibility not to bend to pressure campaigns rooted in demonization and division.
Rejecting divestment is also a rejection of the growing effort to turn campuses into platforms for isolating Israel rather than educating students.