Petition. Divest from the Israeli Occupation
Reageer (0)Dear xxx,
It took the courage of over 700
humanitarian aid activists and the needless deaths of nine of them to
put the siege of Gaza and the broader issue of the Israeli occupation on
the front pages of the world's newspapers, day after day, for a week.
There were demonstrations across the globe and diplomatic condemnations
But my own government was largely silent.
While other countries condemned the illegal attack,
here in the US, President Obama played games with words and ensured that
no resolution would pass the UN Security Council. And instead of
demanding an impartial international investigation, he gave his blessing
to a widely criticized Israeli plan to investigate itself.
The catastrophe on the high seas off the Gaza Strip
has only underscored the urgent need to end Israel's occupation of
Palestine and to bring a just peace.
In the last year, divestment campaigns at U.S.
universities including Hampshire, Berkeley, and Evergreen have
galvanized discussion and action about Israel's treatment of the
occupied Palestinian territories. Building on that momentum, I am proud
to tell you that Jewish Voice for Peace is announcing today a new divestment campaign that you, your family,
your friends, and your community can all help build.
Our goal is to get TIAA-CREF, one of the largest
pension funds in the United States, to divest from companies that are
profiting from the occupation.
Why TIAA-CREF?
TIAA-CREF's tagline is "finance for the greater
good." It takes pride not just in its financial acumen, but also in its
ethical standards.
But TIAA-CREF, invests its money--my retirement
money-- in companies that help maintain the Gaza blockade, build West
Bank settlements, embed spy equipment in the illegal Separation Wall,
and sell Israel navy ships and other war equipment used to attack Gaza
and, most recently, the Flotilla. Even TIAA-CREF's "socially
responsible" funds are invested in some of the companies JVP is
targeting, including Caterpillar and Motorola.
Yet TIAA-CREF was the first major fund to divest
from those doing business in the Sudan, and then other companies
followed suit. If we can just convince TIAA-CREF to follow its own
guidelines, as it has in the Sudan, we will have a major impact.
TIAA CREF participants are public school teachers,
college and university professors, hospital doctors and staff,
researchers, artists and non-profit workers. We are launching this
campaign with the endorsements of over 250 prominent professors,
doctors authors, artists, and many others who are standing up for what
is right. You can see who has signed on here.
This is just the beginning. Will you join us?
You'll be standing with scholars such as Professor
Richard Falk and Professor Noam Chomsky, authors and activists such as
Naomi Klein, Juan Cole, Bill Fletcher Jr., and Nadia Hijab, a dozen
rabbis from around the country, and many others fighting for justice.
We ask you to sign the petition - regardless of your
religion, ethnicity or profession, or whether you participate in a
TIAA-CREF retirement plan.
This campaign demands accountability from the ground
up, starting with you and me. An old bumper sticker sums it up: "If
the people lead, the leaders will follow."
Only if we lead, will D.C. follow.
We think that with your help, this campaign will
make a huge difference.
Economic pressure campaigns using boycott,
divestment and sanction tactics have a long and noble history. They
helped end apartheid in South Africa. They worked in the American
South, in the civil rights movement. They worked to persuade California
grape producers to recognize their workers' union. Most recently,
many people are boycotting Arizona in response to its treatment of
immigrants. But none of these campaigns were overnight successes. This
is the beginning of a long, hard battle, but we're determined to win
it. If you join, we will win.
Sign the petition, and find out more about the
campaign and how to get involved in your community.
We can make it happen again.
Henri Picciotto
Former Chair, JVP Board of Directors
TIAA-CREF Participant
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