UK Institutions Alerted About Potential Legal Consequences Over Connections with Israeli Weapons Manufacturers in Gaza Conflict
Universities in the UK have received a stern warning from a legal group, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), stating they could face potential criminal liability for investments in companies linked to Israel's arms supply or operation in illegal settlements.
This warning letter, sent to 82 institutions, highlights the possibility of university officers committing a criminal offence if their institutions have profited from investments linked to companies potentially complicit in Israel's military actions against Palestinians.
Elbit Systems, Caterpillar, and BAE Systems, among others, have been named as companies connected to Israeli war crimes and human rights violations against Palestinians. Regrettably, these conflicts have resulted in the deaths of over 34,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Dania Abul Haj, ICJP's senior legal officer, expressed her dismay, stating, "Investment in these companies was already morally bankrupt." She further added, "It's mind-boggling that universities, which should be nurturing future leaders, are still investing in such companies."
The ICJP also offers to provide these universities with additional eyewitness testimonies to support their case.
Recently, pro-Palestine protests have gained momentum, with encampments cropping up on campuses worldwide. In the US, universities like Columbia University in New York and UCLA in Los Angeles have faced riot police's forceful eviction of students. Similar protests have taken place at British institutions such as University College London, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Warwick, with a key demand for divestment from companies involved in the Israeli arms industry.
It's essential to note that while universities may face criminal liability related to breaches such as fraud, company law violations, or statutory obligations, the legal accountability related to such investments would more likely arise through civil claims, regulatory scrutiny, or public and academic governance pressures rather than criminal prosecution. The UK doesn't currently have any legislation specifically criminalizing investment per se by public institutions like universities in companies based on their involvement in Israel or disputed territories.
- The legal warning from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) to UK universities could potentially lead to criminal liabilities if the institutions continue investments in companies linked to Israel's arms supply or operation in illegal settlements, which have been named as complicit in Israel's military actions against Palestinians and human rights violations.
- Dania Abul Haj, the senior legal officer of the ICJP, has expressed her dismay stating that investment in these companies is not only morally bankrupt but also baffling, considering universities should be nurturing future leaders, yet they continue investing in such companies.
- The ICJP is offering additional eyewitness testimonies to support the case of universities facing potential liabilities for investments in companies involved in Israel's military actions against Palestinians.
- Pro-Palestine protests have been gaining momentum worldwide, with encampments appearing on campuses globally. British universities like University College London, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Warwick, alongside American universities such as Columbia University in New York and UCLA in Los Angeles, have faced similar protests, demanding the divestment from companies involved in the Israeli arms industry.
- While universities may face criminal liability for breaches such as fraud, company law violations, or statutory obligations, the legal accountability related to such investments would more likely arise through civil claims, regulatory scrutiny, or public and academic governance pressures, given the absence of specific legislation in the UK criminalizing investment by public institutions like universities in companies based on their involvement in Israel or disputed territories.
