U of M releases list of public investments in companies tied to Israel, meeting pro-Palestinian protesters' demands
MINNEAPOLIS — A key demand by pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Minnesota was met on Wednesday, when the school administration revealed the list of companies it invests in with connections to Israel.
Less than a quarter of a percent of the university's $2.27 billion endowment is publicly invested in companies located in Israel, or in companies that have ties to the country, including U.S. defense contracts. The investments total around $5 million.
Of the 41 companies the university disclosed, the largest accounts include Nova, which manufactures semiconductors, as well as Caterpillar and Honeywell. All of this is in the form of stocks and bonds that are held indirectly through larger funds.
The university released the information as part of a deal with the pro-Palestinian coalition to take down an encampment that had occupied a portion of the university lawn last week. More than a dozen buildings were closed during the three-day span as the group raised their voices in opposition to the Israel-Hamas war.
After the information was made public, the U of M Divestment Coalition said on social media, "If it's only 0.1% of the endowment, divestment should be easy."
Kelly Grotke, an expert in higher education finances, including endowments and divestment, said that while divesting from public funds is possible, doing the same for the university's private investments is a challenge.
"Generally they operate under contracts which may prevent disclosure. There can be a broad assertion on intellectual property rights over the particular strategies of different funds, and I would be very surprised in certain cases if the university could even publicly disclose or divest from those things," said Grotke.
Based on Grotke's research, a majority of the university's endowment is tied up in private investments. Members of the protest group will meet with the university's board of regents on Friday to discuss possible divestment.
