Edinburgh University appears to have postponed a decision on divestment following correspondence from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).

According to Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society (EUJPS), the Court of Edinburgh University (its governing body) was to take a definitive vote on divestment at its meeting on 17 June 2024. EUJPS blame UKLFI for the delay.

In a statement posted on Facebook, EUJPS say:

“This is not the first time the University of Edinburgh Administration has fallen prone to Zionist lobbying interference. As early as 2016 the administration faced pressure from Pro-Israel groups to disregard a EUSA [Edinburgh University Students Association] motion to enact BDS on complicit companies.

In 2024, after countless massacres, after a global student intifada and after a hunger strike o the lawns of the Old College – the lobby has returned in the form of UKLFI as a last ditch effort to sabotage all of the work that has been done.”

At its meeting on 17 June, the Court considered the possibility of expanding the definition of controversial armaments to include AI targeting and other technological or digital developments. However, it did not take any decision since there is not currently a universally agreed definition of Lethal Autonomous Weapons System and further work is required to understand how expanding the definition could be implemented in the investment portfolio.

The Court requested further information to be completed before its next meeting in October so that a fully informed discussion can take place. The results of a more general consultation on the University’s responsible investment policy will also be available by then.

The Court also agreed to maintain a previous decision to “pause” any new direct investments in Alphabet and Amazon. UKLFI has warned the University that this decision was in breach of fiduciary duties and unlawful.

Since that decision at the end of May 2024, Amazon’s share price has risen by 8.5%, while that of Alphabet [Google] has risen by 7.5%.