The message from the students in encampments has been simple: they want their universities to stop doing business with Israel - or any companies that support its ongoing war in Gaza. The demand has its roots in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a decades-old campaign against Israel's policies toward the Palestinians. But the specifics vary from each set of protesters at different universities. Among them are these key demands: • Stop doing business with military weapons manufacturers that are supplying arms to Israel • Stop accepting research money from Israel for projects that aid the country's military efforts • Be more transparent about what money is received from Israel and what it's used for • Stop investing college endowments with money managers who profit from Israeli companies or contractors. Endowments are the holdings and investments that institutions of higher education, foundations and some nonprofits manage as a kind of perpetual savings account.
