IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 5, 2019

Contact: Avi D. Gordon, Executive Director Alums for Campus Fairness

917-512-4585, [email protected]

On Monday, the Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies (ACCRIP) at Brown University voted to recommend that the University divest from “companies identified as facilitating human rights abuses in Palestine.” ACF-Brown unequivocally condemns this hateful rhetoric and action. 

The divestment initiative was brought to ACCRIP as a result of the divestment referendum in Spring 2019, in which only 27% of Brown’s student body voted in favor of divestment. The Jewish community at Brown’s voices were initially ignored by one-quarter of the student body and are now cast aside by ACCRIP.

As part of the larger Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, this divestment initiative not only contributes to an environment of antisemitism, but actively promotes antisemitism through the demonization and delegitimization of Israel, the nation state of the Jewish people. BDS and any form of bigotry has no place at Brown.

ACF-Brown will remain unified in combating BDS and all forms of antisemitism at Brown. We call on the greater Brown community to stand with Jewish students, pro-Israel students and their allies on campus.

About ACF: Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) is America’s unified alumni voice on issues of antisemitism, demonization of Israel, and bigotry. With over thirty-five chapters, ACF positions thousands of alumni on the front lines of key issues at their alma maters and works to ensure that universities remain pillars of open dialogue and equal opportunity for all students. For more information, please visit www.campusfairness.org.