Cornell University's undergraduate student body voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution calling for the university to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from major weapons manufacturers. The referendum, which saw a participation rate of 46.77%, resulted in a 2:1 ratio in favor of the resolution.
According to the referendum results, 5,043 votes were cast in support of Cornell calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and 2,074 votes were cast in opposition.
Additionally, the results found that 4,960 votes were cast in favor of Cornell following their 2016 Guidelines for Divestment and divesting from weapons manufacturers complicit in the ongoing violence in Gaza, and 2,193 votes were cast in opposition.
The weapons manufacturers targeted specifically include BAE Systems, Boeing, Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, L3Harris Technologies, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, and ThyssenKrupp.
The Cornell Coalition for Mutual Liberation (CML) spearheaded the resolution, which consists of more than 40 student organizations. CML has organized dozens of events calling for the university to support a ceasefire and divest from weapons manufacturers since Israel’s war in Gaza began in the wake of the Hamas attack on October 7.
During a sit-in protest at Day Hall on March 21 organized by CML, 24 protesters were arrested and charged with trespassing. On the day the referendum vote began, 22 of those protesters pleaded not guilty to the trespassing charges in a hearing at the Ithaca City Court. The district attorney gave them a deal for a one-month Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal, which means that all protesters could have their charges dropped by May 16.
On October 7, Hamas killed roughly 1,200 Israelis. In response, Israel has waged a war in Gaza that has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, including an estimated 22,000 women and children. Israel has also killed at least 95 journalists, destroyed at least 26 hospitals, and bombed 200 schools and all 12 universities in Gaza. The approval of the resolution emphasizes the students' collective stand against violence and civilian casualties.
In a statement announcing the referendum's passage, Student Assembly President Patrick Kuehl said, “In this time of conflict, the students of Cornell University have raised their voices together and spoken out definitively against violence and the killing of civilians.” He added, “The Student Assembly will do everything within its power to ensure your voices are heeded by the University and that swift and just action is taken.”
Kuehl underscored the distinction between criticizing the actions of institutions and condemning the people they represent. “The results of this referendum are a statement against the actions of the Israeli Government — not the people of Israel or the Jewish people,” Kuehl said. He continued, “We stand by the humanity and the right to exist of the Jewish and Muslim, Israeli and Palestinian people, and acknowledge that a structure of freedom, equality, and peace based in justice are ultimately to the benefit of all.”
The Student Assembly previously voted 16-4 against a resolution calling for divestment at a meeting on February 1. Then, on March 21, the Student Assembly voted 15-10 to hold the referendum on divestment from April 18-19.
Now that students have passed the resolution, Cornell University President Martha Pollack will have the opportunity to implement a policy concerning it within 30 days or reject it entirely
(5) comments
Vast majority of Israelis favor elimination of Hamas. Vast majority of Gazans support Hamas. Israel has accepted multiple versions of two state solution. Gaza leadership has accepted NO version of two state solution and wants all Jews “removed” from region just as all Jews have been removed from all others parts of Middle East. No where for Jews to go - certainly not US if Cornell and Columbia are indications. No one seems to care that there is no place for Jews to go. Fortunately, large (silent sad to say) majority of US supports Israel in this awful situation.
Easily led Pampered, privileged, progressives are like sheep without a shepherd. Happy to follow each other off a cliff.
Do the math without the spin. 31.18% of the student body voted for the resolution. And that includes foreign students voting in a election here which they could not legally do under federal or NY state law where citizenship is required to vote. Divestiture is futile. CU sells its shares. Someone else buys them. The comparison with number of deaths is also specious. Hamas started a war. Many more Japanese died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki than at Pearl Harbor. Those who sow war may reap and more than proportionally.
Thanks for sharing the percentage voting for resolution. I work at Cornell and would like to learn what action Board of Trustees will take in reaction to this vote, but don't know how to discover it. If you have ideas, please tell me.
You quote casualty statistics without mentioning that they come from Hamas, which lies. Examining their daily casualty reports makes it clear that they are fabricated. You state how many hospitals and schools have been bombed without stating that Hamas hides among civilian infrastructure, which is a war crime. Finally, you don't say that Hamas has had many opportunities to accept ceasefire proposals which would get food and medical aid to their people, but they don't accept them because they don't care about their people, only care about staying in power. A Fatah news anchor (West Bank Palestinian) has reported that Hamas steals food aid, resells it to starving Palestinians, and trashes it to create more starvation to get more sympathy for their cause. They are the main oppressors of Palestinians, having diverted billions of dollars of aid to military purposes, leaving their people in poverty. Your reporting is so biased as to be full of lies by omission.
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