To the administration of Reed College:

We, the undersigned members of the Reed community, have serious concerns about the College administration’s response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine. We believe that the statements and actions of the administration are in fundamental misalignment with our stated community values; this discrepancy is especially apparent in Reed’s investment practices. Accordingly, we have composed a series of demands that, if agreed to by Reed College, address the harm which has already been done and prevent further harm:

1. We ask the College to begin divesting from corporations supplying for and profiting off of the Israeli government’s ongoing illegal occupation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide in Palestine. Specifically, we call for a public phasing-out of current investments and a halt on new investments in the corporations that supply arms to or otherwise support the occupation. These corporations do not simply espouse problematic rhetoric; they provide material contributions necessary for the Israeli government to continue its ongoing genocide. Divestment would not purely be a symbolic gesture - Reed’s endowment is worth close to one billion dollars, so its investment portfolio has significant sway in the corporations it invests in. Ending its financial support for corporations complicit in these atrocities is a significant step towards justice.

          a. The most directly implicated corporations, and those that we demand Reed immediately cease investment in, are: Elbit Systems, HD Hyundai/Volvo/CAT/JCB, Barclays, CAF, Chevron, HikVision, TKH Security, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, DRS RADA, AXA, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, RTX (Raytheon Technologies), General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Thyssenkrupp, TransDigm Group, Howmet Aerospace, HIECO, Spirit AeroSystems, Textron, L3Harris, Axon, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Curtiss-Wright, Woodward, BWX Technologies, CAE, Hexcel, Leonardo DRS, AAR, AeroVironment, Ducommun, Kaman, Kratos, V2X, Mercury Systems, Moog Inc., Parsons, Triumph Group, and Embraer.

2. To ensure these targets are met, we also ask that Reed be transparent about where the endowment is invested. We understand that the endowment is invested through third-party companies, but other schools, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Swarthmore, Amherst, and Williams, are creating avenues for students—and their communities generally—to play an active role in their school's financial decisions despite these hurdles. The Harvard Management Company, for instance, releases quarterly reports where they detail every security the endowment is invested in. We understand that Reed’s investment policy says that investments are not endorsements, but the reality remains that investment provides real financial support for the actions and practices of companies. The investor is ethically implicated, regardless of their claims to the contrary. We, just as our predecessors in decades past did, insist that investment practices are neither amoral nor free from obligations of social responsibility. Reed has a rich legacy of student organization concerning divestment, with students protesting institutional financial support for grave moral and political offenses spanning from South African apartheid to the Dakota Access Pipeline. Invoking this legacy, we remind you that the honor principle states that “members of the community will be honest (...in all their behavior), ...will take responsibility for the effect of their behavior on the college as a whole, and will engage in conscientious self-reflection about their words and deeds.” We ask that Reed act in accordance with its stated values and take responsibility for its investments as the institutional code of ethics dictates.

3. We additionally ask that the Investment Committee amend the investment responsibility policy to be clearer and more actionable. The current language regarding, “widely-held, perhaps almost universally-held social or moral positions,” is both restrictive and vague. We ask that the college clarify and codify the social and moral positions that we, as a community, hold. We also ask that Reed College implement a democratic process that allows its community, including students, faculty, and staff, to amend these positions as need arises. These social and moral positions should act as guidelines for future investments so we can be sure that the investments align with our values as a community.

4. We ask that the Reed administration organize a committee to investigate and address the extremely alarming rise in incidents of antisemitic vandalism on campus. This should be unbiased, transparent, and collaborative, and composed of Reed community members, including students, staff, and faculty.

5. We ask that Reed College end its relationship with Israeli academic institutions that are willing and persistent accomplices in the government’s crimes and atrocities. Reed College currently has partnerships with Ben-Gurion University and Hebrew University, both of which are complicit in the occupation of Palestine and the genocide of the Palestinian people. Additionally, these programs are not available to Palestinian students due to the Israeli government’s refusal to recognize Palestinians’ right to return to their homeland. Why does the college offer educational and cultural opportunities that are only accessible to students of some ethnicities, and not certain marginalized others?

6. We also ask Audrey Bilger and Reed College to issue an apology for the portrayal of Reed Students for Justice in Palestine in the email sent on November 13th. As Bilger has already acknowledged, her statement “has reflected badly on SJP”. Depictions of Reed SJP as an antisemitic and violent organization threaten the safety of our community, as we saw on November 19th when a “convoy of vehicles displaying Israeli and U.S. flags” drove onto our campus and threatened students (in multiple instances accelerating at them). Especially given this and that some students were doxxed by far-right social media personalities, Audrey Bilger and Reed College must take action to ensure the safety of its students— correcting its previous statements and advocating for student rights moving forward.

7. Finally, we ask that Audrey Bilger and Reed College issue a public statement condemning the ongoing genocide occurring in Gaza. This is not a matter of subjective political discourse but basic moral and humanitarian principles. Reed has previously issued statements on global events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, so such a statement would not be out of line with past institutional policy.

Due to the urgent nature of this crisis, it is incredibly important that Reed take these steps immediately. If no progress in this direction has been made by the first day of classes next semester, we will be forced to assume that means the Reed administration has declined to implement the imperative changes and will respond accordingly.

Signed,

 

Students for Justice in Palestine at Reed College

Reed College Students for a Democratic Society 

Reed College YDSA