After a United Nations investigation tied companies to Israeli settlement activity on occupied Palestinian territory, Carleton University continued investing millions into them, a document obtained by the Charlatan alleges.
The purportedly leaked document, dated December 2023, alleges details of 601 of Carleton’s pension fund holdings.
It claims Carleton invested more than $2 million in four companies listed in a June 2023 UN human rights report: Altice International Ltd., Booking.com, TripAdvisor Inc. and Delek Logistics.
The Charlatan is not naming the source that provided the document because they fear professional repercussions.
An additional 15 companies listed on the document appear on an American Friends Service Committee human rights violation database.
Carleton allegedly invested a total of $43 million in those 19 companies, which include arms dealers, a pharmaceutical giant and surveillance systems manufacturers, according to the document.
Facing increasing financial scrutiny in recent months, Carleton has carefully guarded its investments from the public eye, leaving questions about alleged ties to Israeli activity unanswered.
The Charlatan asked the university whether the figures on the document match Carleton’s internal investment records. Carleton was also asked to comment on criticisms that those alleged investments run contrary to the university’s responsible investment promises.
The Charlatan gave Carleton numerous opportunities over multiple days to respond to these allegations. However, university officials did not provide an answer in time for publication.
“Our money should not be invested in any companies that make weapons used to kill people, including Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” said Nir Hagigi, an undergraduate representative on Carleton’s senate.
In previous statements to the Charlatan, Carleton has pointed to its adoption of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment.
“I think that’s ironic,” said Hagigi, who is also the president of Independent Jewish Voices Carleton. “These corporations are on the United Nations list [for Israeli settlement activity on occupied Palestinian territory].”
“Why are we still invested in companies that are profiting from occupation?”
The Carleton University Students’ Association, Graduate Students’ Association and CUPE 4600 union are among the groups calling on Carleton to publish its investments and divest from companies linked to the conflict.
Senate split on investment review
Hagigi proposed a motion urging Carleton to review its investment practices at a June 7 Senate meeting, but it was promptly shut down by Senate.
“Students, professors and staff have endured the heartbreaking murders of loved ones at the hands of the corporations that we fund,” Hagigi said at the meeting.
“These students walk our halls, sit in our classrooms and strive to complete their education while carrying the weight of this unimaginable grief and trauma.”
Senate opted to delegate those matters to a subcommittee before revisiting them in September, citing concerns about senate jurisdiction and a lack of expert knowledge.
Shawna Dolansky, a Carleton religion professor, called the motion “bad faith” and criticized its focus on the Israel-Palestine conflict at the meeting.
Typically, non-senators like Dolansky are not allowed to speak during Senate meetings and require an invitation from Carleton’s president.
Sean Burges, an international studies professor on Senate, disagreed, calling Hagigi’s motion “reasonable” and applicable to other human rights issues.
“This is a tragedy in Palestine, but it’s also a pretext for us to talk about what’s actually acceptable,” Burges said. “I think the issue here is financial compliance with our [responsible investing] policies.
“It’s not ideological in the sense of this particular conflict.”
“I’m having a very, very hard time figuring out what the controversy is behind this motion,” Hagigi said in an interview. “Why should we continue to invest in weapons manufacturers?”
Burges also suggested Senate should meet to discuss investment review before September.
“I know that it’s your calendar that’s not working for you … but it’s going to look like we buried it in the subcommittee, and we’re hoping it’ll go away,” Burges said.
Hagigi also unsuccessfully proposed a motion to amend Carleton’s definitions of anti-Palestinian racism and antisemitism. Currently, there is no university policy concerning anti-Palestinian racism.
Carleton’s Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities is set to review its human rights policy in the fall, a representative said during the meeting.
“This is not something that’s simple,” said Jerry Tomberlin, Carleton’s president. “As I mentioned before, these are things in the purview of the human rights policy.”
Hagigi said the definition issue demands a more urgent timeline from Carleton.
“Our Jewish students and our Palestinian students on campus are not feeling safe,” Hagigi said. “There’s a clear need for us to do something, and the university knows that.
“I just think it’s really, really insane.”
Featured graphic by Alisha Velji.
