Report says U.S. universities would suffer billions in losses from divesting from Israel
American universities would suffer a collective loss of tens of billions of dollars if they chose to divest from companies that have financial ties to Israel, a recent report says.
The report was released on Sept. 18 by JLens, a Jewish investor network that is a part of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
American universities would suffer a collective loss of tens of billions of dollars if they chose to divest from companies that have financial ties to Israel, a recent report says.
The report was released on Sept. 18 by JLens, a Jewish investor network that is a part of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The study concluded that the 100 universities with the largest endowments would lose a combined $33.2 billion between 2023–2033 if they capitulate to the anti-Israel Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Harvard University, which owns the largest endowment, would be set to lose $2.5 billion, the report concluded. Schools like Yale University, Stanford University, and Princeton University would all be projected by JLens to lose more than $1.5 billion in the event that they divest from Israel.
“Our research demonstrates that university endowments that divest from Israel could face significant financial consequences,” JLens Managing Director Ari Hoffnun said in an ADL press release. “Lower investment returns could compromise a university’s ability to provide scholarships, fund research, and invest in campus facilities.”
“This groundbreaking report approaches the morally problematic BDS movement from an entirely new direction - its negative impact on portfolio returns,” New York University Adjunct Finance Professor Michael Lustig also said in the same press release.
“JLens has done a great job in quantifying the financial effects of implementing the suggestions of this pernicious movement, and importantly, they ‘show their work’ by providing full transparency into their methodology, and properly caveat the points where assumptions must necessarily be made,” Lustig continued. “This report will prove to be an important tool in helping to fight noxious BDS advocacy.”
In January, Campus Reform reported about an ADL study concerning the rise of anti-Semitic incidents at American colleges. The report found that such incidents rose by more than 1,000% in the two months following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks against Israel compared to the same point from the year prior.
“This terrifying pattern of antisemitic attacks has been relentless since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, with no signs of diminishing,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement at the time of the report’s release.
“The lid to the sewers is off, and Jewish communities all across the country are being inundated with hate,” he continued. “Public officials and college leaders must turn down the temperature and take clear action to show this behavior is unacceptable to prevent more violence.”
Campus Reform has contacted the Anti-Defamation League for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
