Anti-Israel activists in Michigan have turned their attention to the state’s employee pension and retirement systems, demanding divestment at a meeting on Wednesday.

Activists with Lansing for Palestine, the Lansing Area Peace Education Center, and others issued a series of demands to the State of Michigan Board of Investments at a Wednesday meeting that were outlined by member Anna Martinez-Hume, WLNS reports.

“To divest from all current Israel bond holdings, commit to non-renewal of any of the bonds upon maturity, one of them matures this year, and commit to not purchasing any new Israel bonds,” Martinez-Hume said.

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The group also insisted the board prove it has complied with the demands by it’s April 2025 quarterly meeting.

“The State of Michigan Investment Board’s mandate is to ensure our investment returns lead to a meaningful and comfortable retirement for our teachers, state employees, state police officers and judges,” the board wrote in a statement to WLNS. “The board values public comment and always dedicates time to hear input from the public on its thoughts on retirement system holdings.”

Lansing for Palestine, which describes itself as “a community based organization started in October, 2023 in response to Israel’s escalation of its long, illegal siege on the Gaza Strip,” offers background about the “Michigan Divest” campaign on its website.

“On Oct. 1^st, … The Coalition for a Free Palestine demanded the State of MI Investment Board divest from over $11 million in Israel bonds,” according to Lansing for Palestine, which also wants “a meeting between the Coalition and the Board to discuss divestment.”

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“The Board did not respond to our demands” Wednesday, according to the website. “Join us in letting them know they cannot ignore the people of MI who refuse to see their retirement and tax dollars fund Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people!”

The state investment board – comprised of the state treasurer, budget director and three gubernatorial appointees – “is the investment fiduciary with respect to the investment and management of the assets of the retirement funds that comprise the State of Michigan Retirement System,” according to the board’s website.

Members are “tasked with prudently managing the investment portfolio of the SMRS in accordance with the standards set forth” in state law. That includes the retirement systems for the state’s public employees and retirees, teachers, state police, judges, and state military personnel.

The divestment demands Wednesday follow similar unsuccessful efforts by pro-Palestinian activists to force the state’s publicly funded universities and colleges to cut financial ties with Israel and the companies that support the country.

“Recently, (American Federation of Teachers) Local 2000, representing Wayne County Community College passed a resolution in support of divesting MPSERS from Israel bonds,” according to Lansing for Palestine. “We urge others to follow.”

It’s unclear how divestment would impact returns for the state’s retirement systems, which were saved from billions in additional costs and liabilities when Republicans walked out of last month’s lame duck session.

Democrats in both chambers attempted to push through last minute changes to retirement systems without public comment that the libertarian Reason Foundation testified would have added as much as $21.85 billion in new employer costs over the coming decades.”

The changes in one of two bills, according to Reason, could have ballooned unfunded liabilities for the retirement system from what’s currently about $5.4 billion to $8 billion over the next 15 years.

The changes, however, were ultimately derailed when all Republicans and Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, refused to participate in the waning days of the 2024 lame duck session to protest “crazy, divisive issues” like LGBTQ protections, early release for felons, driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, and others pushed by the Democratic majority.

“I’m not voting on garbage bills. I’m not voting on bills that will eventually hurt people,” Whitsett said at the time.

“We’re just saying enough is enough, and let’s get to work on something important,” then House Speaker-elect Matt Hall, D-Richmond Twp., said in December.

A new Republican House majority took control of the lower chamber on Wednesday with Hall at the helm.

“We’re going to rebuild this again and make you proud,” Hall told his supporters on Wednesday, according to The Detroit News.