The University invested money in a fund that has stakes in firms linked to human rights abuses by the Israel Defence Force (IDF), it has been revealed.

The Middle East Eye (MEE) recently reported that the University endowment fund invested £140 million in the iShares ESG Select Screened S&P 500 fund in the last financial quarter of 2025. The fund holds shares in companies including Palantir, Caterpillar, and GE Aerospace.

The endowment fund is managed by the University of Cambridge Investment Management Limited. According to MEE, the University has previously refused to disclose which companies are part of its endowment portfolio for “legal reasons of confidentiality”. However, the size of this investment, being more than $100 million, meant that the University was required to disclose the details to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

MEE reports that the investment includes around £800,000 worth of stock in the software company Palantir, which was co-founded by the billionaire entrepreneur and right-wing activist Peter Thiel; around £900,000 worth of stock in GE Aerospace, an American company which produces aircraft engines; and around £1 million worth of stock in Caterpillar, an American construction company.

In 2024, Palantir signed a deal with the Israeli defence ministry, as well as a £240 million “strategic partnership” deal with the UK Ministry of Defence, involving developing “AI-powered capabilities […] to speed up decision making, military planning and targeting.” MEE describes the company as “a major partner” of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

The Campaign Against Arms Trade reports that GE Aerospace provides the engines for many of the Israeli Air Force’s military jets that are used in Gaza. Caterpillar is a construction equipment manufacturer, which has been accused by Amnesty International of human rights violations due to its sales of bulldozers to the Israel Defense Forces, which have been used to destroy properties in Gaza.

The iShares ESG fund is managed by BlackRock, a global asset management firm with major shares in Palantir, GE Aerospace, and Caterpillar.

A member of Cambridge for Palestine told Varsity: “Education institutions must uphold human rights and moral accountability, not profit from systems that fuel occupation, violence, and genocide. While the University increasingly talks about ‘responsible investment’, these findings reveal a clear gap between rhetoric and reality.

“Students, staff and alumni have long called for full transparency, ethical divestment and a principled approach that aligns Cambridge’s financial portfolio with universal human rights standards. We urge the University to immediately commit to a full divestment from arms companies any company complicit in violations of international law, including those connected to the occupation of Palestine.”

The University of Cambridge was contacted for comment.