Trinity has paid €1836 to a new Israeli supplier. College has confirmed that the new supplier was issued after the pledge to divest from Israel in May 2024.
The payment was recently disclosed to Trinity BDS and TCDSU (Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union) via a Freedom of Information request. Senior members of College relayed to TCDSU President Jenny Maguire that they felt “regretful” following the discovery of the new ties to Israel, stressing that there was “no intentionality behind it”. However, in their statement, Trinity BDS characterised the development as having arisen from “carelessness”.
Additionally, correspondence seen by The University Times reported that IBM, a firm with strong ties to the Israeli military dating back to the 1960s, has recently secured a five-year lease for an on-campus research lab in the Trinity Business School.
The lab, situated on the first floor, comprises two classrooms, two offices, and a meeting room. An anonymous source stated that staff have reportedly been instructed on multiple occasions to keep the details of the agreement under wraps for fear of negative press.
Speaking to The University Times, a College Spokesperson said “the agreement between Trinity and IBM Ireland is the culmination of an MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] signed in 2022. IBM has been one of Trinity’s research partners for decades, working with undergraduates on research projects, sponsoring PhDs, collaborating with a wide range of academic staff and research centres in Trinity and other universities.”
The University Times has confirmed that the longstanding partnership between Trinity and IBM Ireland is valued in millions. According to a College Spokesperson, the partnership has been “a key contributor to innovation both within Trinity and Ireland’s wider technology ecosystem”.
These sustained ties with IBM Ireland have continued in the wake of Trinity’s commitment to cut all ties with Israeli institutions and Israeli suppliers following the success of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) encampment last May. Speaking to The University Times regarding the supplier issue, a College Spokesperson said College is “grateful that this has been brought to our attention” and that “a refined set of processes will be put in place to prevent this from recurring”.
IBM Israel have recently developed software which monitors Palestinian and Israeli populations. The company have also been involved in developing checkpoint software.
After the encampment, College confirmed the only Israeli supplier remaining in their portfolio was Enspire. A recent Freedom of Information Request seen by The University Times confirms that the College used Alomone Labs as a supplier after the agreement to divest. It has been suggested that Alomone supplied salt to College however, the company itself primarily provides membrane proteins for laboratory work.
Trinity BDS is urging College to match the amount paid to the Israeli supplier in a donation to the Palestinian Red Crescent. In addition, they are calling on College to release a review of its links to Israel every six months.
The statement released by Trinity BDS stated that “the fact that there are new links with Israel highlights the necessity of the task force going forward, there is still much work to be done. There are currently significant issues with college structures making it difficult for the college to ensure they don’t create new links, which needs to be addressed.”
The task force was formed as part of the agreements to end the encampment on May 8th, 2024. It serves to make recommendations to the College regarding divestment and academic links to Israel. Its first meeting was held on November 22nd 2024.
