The student worker union at Columbia University on Tuesday gave up on its demand that the university divest from Israel, in a defeat for the protest movement that rocked the Ivy League campus after the start of the war in Gaza.

Student Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers has been negotiating a contract with the university since last year.

The union had included sweeping demands, including that the university divest from companies in violation of “international law,” a measure targeted at Israel.

The demands led to a stalemate with the university and pressure on the student union from its parent organization, the United Auto Workers, to rein in its activist activity.

The student union dropped a contract article that had demanded divestment on Tuesday, The Columbia Spectator reported.

The move marked a major concession from the union, which had made anti-Israel activism a priority — as have other student unions and student governments in the US.

A union leader........

© The Times of Israel