Students voted in favor of an SGA referendum calling on DePaul to withdraw its investments in companies that do business with Israel’s military and corporations that work in the West Bank and Gaza, easily passing by 54.2 percent. A total of 2,908 votes were cast, with 45.8 percent against the referendum.

The vote, dubbed “DePaul Divest”, followed weeks of campaigning by the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and counter demonstrations by several campus Jewish groups opposed to the measure. SJP set up a ‘refugee camp’ in the SAC pit as well as an ‘apartheid wall’ detailing Israel’s alleged human rights violations, while pro-Israel group Demon PAC and the Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi set up displays in the quad highlighting Israel’s achievements in technology, human rights and humanitarian aid, among other things. Both groups handed out flyers and urged students to vote against or for the measure.

Some have complained about a bias in the wording of the referendum, which was submitted by SJP and approved by SGA’s Election Operations Board without changes. After a short introduction, the question read, “Do you think that DePaul should follow socially responsible investment practices and divest its funds from companies that profit from Israel’s discriminatory practices and human rights violations?”

While SGA is required by the organization’s bylaws to adopt the position of any referendum that passes, the vote is not binding and any action concerning divestment would have to be taken by the administration.

University President Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., said the request was “problematic in a number of ways” in an email sent to students and faculty shortly after the vote. He highlighted that DePaul’s investments are in mutual funds and trusts, which are conglomerations of stock in different companies packaged together and managed by outside financial advisors. The email also stated that the concept is problematic because “what is socially responsible to one organization or set of interests may be objectionable to another”.

In the email, Fr. Holtschneider said he will recommend the issue to the Fair Business Practices Committee for further study, and encouraged all interested parties to “present their case to the committee” when they take up the referendum in the fall.

-Depauliaonline