Brown University Trustee Steps Down Amid Israel Divestment Vote Controversy

Joseph Edelman, a Jewish trustee at Brown University, has resigned in protest over the school’s upcoming vote on whether to divest its endowment from companies tied to Israel. Edelman, a New York hedge fund manager, described the decision to hold the vote as “a stunning failure of moral leadership” in a resignation letter published in The Wall Street Journal. He argued that the vote represents a concession to pro-Palestinian activists who promote antisemitism and threaten Israel’s existence.

Edelman criticized the university’s leadership for agreeing to the vote as part of a deal with student activists. “The university leadership has, for some reason, chosen to reward, rather than punish, the activists for disrupting campus life, breaking school rules, and promoting violence and antisemitism at Brown,” Edelman wrote. He has donated more than $5 million to Brown through his family foundation, and his public resignation adds to a growing list of donors protesting how universities have handled tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In response, a Brown University spokesperson stated that Edelman’s actions were based on a misunderstanding. “Far from a direct response to current activism, Brown is following an established process that is nearly a half-century old,” said Brian Clark, noting that the university’s governing body, the Brown Corporation, has an obligation to review claims related to its moral responsibilities.

The vote, scheduled for October, is part of an agreement made with pro-Palestinian student activists who had organized an encampment on campus last spring. Unlike other campuses where similar protests were dismantled by police, Brown negotiated a peaceful resolution by agreeing to a divestment vote, focusing specifically on companies linked to Israeli security forces.

Edelman’s resignation comes amid a wave of protests from university donors concerned about rising antisemitism on campuses. Earlier this year, Robert Kraft suspended his donations to Columbia University and pledged $1 million to Yeshiva University to support students transferring from schools perceived as hostile to Jewish students.

Brown’s divestment vote has drawn significant attention and warnings. Attorneys general from 24 states recently cautioned the university that divesting from Israel could lead to legal and financial consequences that would jeopardize Brown’s $6 billion endowment.

Rabbi Josh Bolton, director of Brown Hillel, expressed confidence that the university’s board would ultimately vote against divestment. “Brown is not going to divest from Israel. Brown was never going to divest from Israel,” Bolton said earlier this year.

As tensions continue to rise on campuses across the country, Brown’s upcoming vote will be closely watched, with significant implications for both the university and its broader community.

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