We are disappointed—but not surprised—by Dalhousie’s refusal to divest from companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Despite over a year of sustained advocacy, a detailed and evidence-based report, and overwhelming community support, the administration has chosen to ignore its moral and legal responsibilities.
On March 25, 2025, the Dalhousie Board of Governors—the same board whose members consistently sat in silence every time the DSU raised an issue regarding Palestine or Palestinian students—officially decided to reject the call for divestment. They did so through a vague, less-than-two-page report that fails to engage with the overwhelming evidence, moral clarity, and community demands presented over the past year. Nowhere in the report is the word “Palestine” or “Palestinians” even mentioned. The genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid regime are reduced to vague “ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” erasing both the lived experiences of Palestinians and the crimes unfolding before our eyes by israel.
It is a shameful dismissal of a movement that brought students together across communities, built coalitions, presented evidence of Dalhousie’s complicity, and offered clear, actionable paths forward. Instead of engaging with the legal and ethical arguments we presented—including violations of international law and complicity in apartheid—Dalhousie’s leadership relied on vague ESG language, hollow legal consultations, and their fiduciary duty to maximize returns.
Dalhousie has once again demonstrated that it operates first and foremost as a business—not as an institution of education, social responsibility, or care. That was made even clearer this year with a tuition hike during a cost-of-living crisis and a hiring freeze that threatens academic quality and student support. Most recently, the Faculty of Management promoted an Israel exchange program to commerce co-op students, featuring activities like “wine tastings,” “camel rides,” and “floating in the Dead Sea” one day after israel violated the ceasefire agreement and killed another 500+ Palestinians. The program, described as a backup to take place in Nova Scotia and Ontario “in case we cannot travel to Israel,” clearly aims to whitewash settler colonialism while offering students a shallow and performative experience. That this was promoted during an active genocide is deeply disrespectful and reflects a disturbing normalization of killing and erasure.
We also want to highlight that the university’s claim to have updated its investment questionnaire with geopolitical questions came only after significant DSU pressure. These questions exist because of our work—because students demanded accountability and offered concrete ways to achieve it. That win should not be erased in the same report that tries to erase Palestine.
The divestment campaign is not going away. In fact, this dismissal only strengthens our resolve. Universities are not neutral. They choose what they fund, and they choose whose lives they value. We know which side Dalhousie has chosen today—but students, faculty, and communities will continue to fight for a university that reflects justice, accountability, and solidarity.
We want to thank every person who has been part of this movement—organizers, researchers, faculty, alumni, and encampment participants. You are the reason this conversation is even happening. Your work matters, and it will continue to matter far beyond this moment.
We are not done.
- The Dalhousie Student Union Executive Team
