CUNY rejects Israel divestment after releasing investment records

The City University of New York (CUNY) has announced it will not divest from Israel, following the release of investment records obtained through a legal dispute with student activists. A university spokesperson stated that CUNY has consistently denounced Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) activity and noted that the institution is prohibited from participating in divestment by law.

Under New York’s Executive Order 157, state agencies and certain entities are directed to divest public funds from institutions engaged in boycott, divestment, and sanctions activity targeting Israel. The disclosed 2025 holdings report includes investments in several defense companies, such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Palantir, Elbit Systems, and General Dynamics, as well as Caterpillar, GEO Group, and CoreCivic.

The disclosure follows a settlement in the case of Southey v. City University of New York. Sarah Southey, a CUNY School of Law student, filed a Freedom of Information Law request in March 2024 to pressure the university to divest from companies connected to Israel. As part of the settlement, CUNY agreed to provide investment reports dating back to July 2023, drop an appeal of a 2025 court ruling, and pay $20,000 in legal fees to the New York Civil Liberties Union.