The University of Copenhagen announced on Tuesday it would cease investments in companies that do business in the occupied West Bank, following weeks of ongoing student demonstrations protesting the university’s links to Israel.
Hundreds of students set up an encampment on campus grounds in early May, calling for the university to cut academic and financial relations with Israel, and to divest from all companies operating in occupied Palestinian territories.
In a post on X, the University of Copenhagen wrote: “From tomorrow (May 29) KU will no longer have investments in funds that have Airbnb, Booking[.]com and the online travel company eDreams ODIGEO in their portfolio. There were investments in the three companies for a total of around DKK 1 million.”
It elaborated that the decision was due to “risk management and ethical investment policy”, as well as “the reflections the rectorate has made on the basis of conversations with students and staff in connection with the conflict in Israel and Palestine.”
Student demands for financial transparency are reasonable, and promised a more open future policy, with guidance from fund managers “to manage its investments and ensure they comply with a United Nations list of companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”
“The rectorate considers it completely reasonable that the university population has insight into what the university’s funds are invested in. We therefore continue to work on how, within the current agreements, we can provide a status for the portfolio at regular intervals,” stated the post on X.
The University of Copenhagen has a yearly revenue of over DKK 10 billion, some of which is invested in bonds and equities, according to Reuters.
Israel captured territories in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip after winning a 1967 war with neighbouring Arab states.
