Trinity College Dublin is to divest from investment in companies that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and are blacklisted by the United Nations.
Students who erected tents at the campus have hailed the announcement as “a partial victory," however their protest is continuing.
In a statement the university said: ‘We fully understand the driving force behind the encampment on our campus and we are in solidarity with the students in our horror at what is happening in Gaza. We abhor and condemn all violence and war, including the atrocities of October 7th and the continuing ferocious and disproportionate onslaught in Gaza.
“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the dehumanisation of its people is obscene. We support the International Court of Justice’s finding that ‘Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide in relation to members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip.' A real and lasting solution that respects the human rights of everyone needs to be found.”
The statement added: “Trinity has initiated a process to divest from investments in companies that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN Blacklist in this regard. This process is expected to be completed by June. In April, the National Treasury Management Agency confirmed to government that it had taken a similar approach regarding the Irish Strategic Investment Fund.”
The Irish Times reported that the university’s endowment fund has invested in 13 Israeli companies, three of which are on a United Nations Human Rights Council blacklist.
The university has said that since January it has been working with a youth project in the Gaza Strip to facilitate access to Trinity for students from Gaza and have identified eight students.
“All fees have been waived for these scholars and Trinity will use its Sanctuary Fund to provide accommodation,” Trinity said.
