Pro-Palestinian group ‘demands’ Pitt’s SGB force university to divest from Israel

Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Pittsburgh has demanded the university’s Student Government Board pressure the school to divest from weapons manufacturers connected to Israel, disclose the contents of its investment portfolio and undergo an annual public auditing process.

Those demands were culled from two referendums advocated for and promoted by SJP during last year’s student government elections and were part of a lengthy screed voiced by several students wearing keffiyehs at a November SGB meeting.

The first question, which asked if the university should divest from weapons manufacturers connected to Israel, was approved by 60% of the total voters — 2,220 students of the approximate 3,700 undergraduates who voted in the election.

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The second question, calling for Pitt to disclose its investment portfolio, was approved by 80% of the total voters — approximately 2,960 students of the approximate 3,700 undergraduates who voted.

About 20,000 students were eligible to vote, meaning the first referendum passed with the approval of approximately 11% of those eligible to vote; the second by approximately 14%.

SJP has been ramping up its advocacy against Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state and Israel’s response. The group promoted and helped organize the encampment outside of the Cathedral of Learning on university property in 2024, which, at times, included violent clashes with law enforcement, leading to several arrests.

SJP was suspended for six months last year after a protest at the Hillman Library. Following the protest, the group sent a letter to hearing board members who were deciding if the group should be disciplined. Pitt said SJP attempted to influence those deliberating on the case by distributing the open letter, which was signed by sympathetic students and faculty members.

The suspension was eventually lifted by a federal judge three weeks before it was scheduled to expire.

SJP has long accused the school and its administration of being complicit in genocide, an anti-Zionist trope that has gained momentum among pro-Palestinian groups on college campuses since Oct. 7.

It is unclear if Pitt invests money in weapons manufacturers with ties to Israel, meaning at least one of SJP’s demands and the question asked in the March referendum might be moot.

The demands by SJP are the latest salvo from the group, which has used the judge’s decision in the suspension case as confirmation that it has been persecuted by the university, and to take aim at Pitt’s student government board, which it accused of inaction.

In an Instagram post titled “Addressing SGB’s inaction,” the anti-Zionist student group wrote that it met with SGB privately. According to the post, SGB told SJP it had no power to force the school’s administration to act on any position.

That last point was confirmed by university spokesperson Jared Stonesifer, who said in an email to the Chronicle that SGB is an “independent, self-governing organization” that advocates for student interests, but “any action by the Student Government Board is independent of the University and should not be interpreted as an endorsement by the University.”

Included in SJP’s Instagram post are other demands of SGB. Those include:

• “Transparency and peer oversight in all of the university’s decisions towards us, the students.”

• A “public declaration of non-compliance with ICE on Pitt’s campus.”

• Publicly condemning the “continued violence and discrimination towards Muslim, Arab and Palestinian students on Pitt’s campus.”

Stonesifer said that the university has not received any reports of ICE activity on campus. It has issued guidelines online to the community about what to do if approached by officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other government agencies.

The university also monitors changes in policies affecting international students, Stonesifer said, including visa processing and “global events that may impact international students’ ability to study in the United States and to providing support strategies based on evolving circumstances.”

As evidence of “continued violence and discrimination” at the university, SJP alleged that last year a “female Palestinian student” had her car vandalized by hate speech — a note threatening her and using slurs. SJP alleged that a “short investigation” found a student to be guilty of the offense but police and administration officials said “they did not care and would not take action.”

The university declined to comment on the allegations but said that the “safety and well-being of all our students and community members is a priority embedded in everything we do.”

Pitt also stressed that it is committed to helping ensure students feel safe and it investigates all reports affecting community safety.

During the November SGB meeting, SJP took umbrage that SGB previously made a statement against antisemitism, but has not made a similar statement condemning the alleged offense against the Palestinian student. SJP claimed that SGB told the group it was waiting to release a future resolution.

No matter the ongoing tension between SJP and SGB, Stonesifer said that Pitt is committed to ensuring “all of our students feel supported throughout their experience at the University.”

Senior leaders in Pitt’s Student Affairs office meet regularly with students and student organizations throughout the academic year, Stonesifer said, noting that all registered student organizations are provided with equal resources and support.

SJP and Pitt are still involved in litigation, although the judge who reinstated the student group urged the pair to find an amicable, out-of-court resolution.

SGB President Marley Pinsky did not respond to the Chronicle’s request for an interview.

In an email, SJP’s faculty adviser, Mohammed Bamyeh, told the Chronicle he wasn’t on Instagram and was unaware of SJP’s demands. He did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.