UK universities have invested over £456 million in companies accused of enabling Israel’s occupation and Gaza genocide, according to a new report.
A new report by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has revealed that 87 UK universities collectively hold £456 million ($605.7 million) in firms described as complicit in Israel’s occupation, apartheid system, and the military assault on Gaza.
Institutions such as the University of Essex, Kingston University, Queen Mary University of London, and the University of Warwick were listed as among those with investments in these controversial firms.
The data was obtained through Freedom of Information requests submitted by the PSC. It shows significant investments in arms manufacturers, tech companies, and financial institutions that either supply weapons to Israel or support the infrastructure of occupation and settler expansion.
Among the most prominent companies listed are BAE Systems, which manufactures military aircraft and weapons systems; Siemens, involved in infrastructure projects in occupied Palestinian territories; and Barclays, a bank accused of financing arms companies supplying Israel.
“This information adds impetus to the growing divestment campaigns led by students and academics that have won significant concessions from university authorities in the past 18 months,” said PSC in a statement.
The campaign noted that student activism around Palestine has intensified, especially since the outbreak of Israel’s most recent bombardment of Gaza in late 2023. Israeli airstrikes destroyed schools, universities, and hospitals, resulting in mass casualties and widespread outrage.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
In light of these developments, support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has grown within UK universities. The PSC said many students are demanding immediate divestment from companies tied to Israel’s war machine and apartheid policies.
The PSC highlighted that during the 2023–24 academic year, students at over 35 UK campuses launched encampments, sit-ins, and demonstrations to demand accountability. These protests were aimed at forcing university authorities to disclose financial ties with Israel-linked companies and to end all investment in firms supplying arms or technology used in the occupation.
The group said these efforts have already borne fruit, with some universities announcing steps toward ethical investment frameworks and pledging to review their portfolios.
“In response to Israel’s wholesale destruction of education facilities in Gaza, and mass killing of teachers and students, support for divestment has been very strong across UK universities,” the PSC said.
The group also stressed that universities should uphold ethical standards and refuse to be complicit in what it describes as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“It is absolutely shameful that any university is investing in companies complicit in genocide,” said Stella Swain, PSC Youth and Student officer.
“But students across the country are taking action to demand an end to this complicity,” she added, “standing in a proud history of student resistance to occupation, colonisation and apartheid.”
As student pressure builds, PSC says it expects more universities to face scrutiny over their financial ties and to follow the lead of institutions that have already begun the process of divesting from companies linked to the Israeli military.
