Divestment
|
Aims | Why | Do it yourself Divestment (or disinvestment) means putting and end to investments in Israel and companies supporting Israeli occupation and apartheid.
"Apartheid IsReal": South Africans march against Israeli apartheid
Encourage and pressure individuals, financial institutions and companies to shed their investments in Israel in order to curb the profits of Israel’s war and apartheid economy. To raise awareness about Israel’s policies and true nature among companies, and encourage them to use their economic influence to put pressure on Israel to end the discrimination and expulsion of the Palestinian people and the occupation of their land.
Individuals can withdraw their personal investments in Israeli companies, sending a message to Israel and cutting off the funding used to sustain the Occupation. Moreover, a divestment campaign targeted at businesses and organisations with investments can instil broader values of corporate responsibility. In solidarity work, divestment is similar to sanctions in that it largely relies upon securing certain actions by others (in this instance, share-holders or companies withdrawing their investments) as the majority of BDS campaigners are not in a position to divest capital. There are a variety of institutions in which individuals and constituents hold considerable stake and influence (churches, unions, universities, pension funds), and are the potential sites of strong BDS campaigns.
Caterpillar supplies bulldozers for use in destroying Palestinian homes
The global movement to divest from Apartheid Israel is active on campuses, in Churches and in civil society movements across the globe. The movement is growing. The tactic of withdrawing investments, if successful, can start a downward spiral in which investing in Israel will simply become too risky a prospect. This happened in South Africa once financial institutions started to withdraw and played an important role in supporting the freedom struggle. Divestment as a solidarity strategy can hurt a regime or company economically, but moreover, it may trigger reflections as to why it has been singled out. In this respect divestment advocacy work, even if unsuccessful financially, can bring about changes to the overall climate in which the offender is viewed and raises the profile of the BDS campaign considerably.
Companies with direct links to direct actors in Israeli crimes are the obvious target for divestment, but divestment from Israel as a whole can send a message to the Israeli society that individuals and organisations around the world are no longer prepared either to bankroll the occupation, discrimination and expulsion of the Palestinian people or the implicit support it receives from within all sectors of Israeli society.
1. Get rid of your own investments in Israel Examine any investments you have and identify Israeli companies as well as secondary companies who are directly aiding the Occupation, and invest your money elsewhere. Write to the company telling them that you have disposed of your investments, and the reasons. Encourage them to put pressure on the Israeli government to end the oppression of Palestinians.
2. Lobby financial institutions: If you have money in a bank, building society, pension scheme or other financial body you can obtain a list of where your money is being invested by writing to them or calling them. If money is being invested in Israeli companies, lobby the bank to get rid of these investments. If they refuse to do so, you can transfer to a different institution in protest.
3. Put pressure on organisations that you are a member of Many organisations, such as Universities, churches and trade unions, have investments in Israeli or secondary companies with significant financial interests in Israel. Identify any such investments and lobby boards or representatives to divest from Israel and make public statements in support of Palestine.. 4. Shareholder Activism Shareholder activism is an important means to support your public divestment campaigns. You can buy a small amount of shares of a company and participate in their Annual General Meetings to raise the issue of divestment. Combined with a public campaign, you might find growing support among the shareholders for divestment able to pass motions that force the management to stop the targeted investments. |
News
British firm RedRat cuts ties with Israeli company Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 06/10/2010 - 21:00
Meirav Crystal [YNet] 11 June 2010 - British company RedRat announced to Israeli company Disk-In Pro that despite years of cooperation, it would no longer work with the Israeli company because of Israel's policy in the Gaza Strip.
Britain's Largest Trade Union (UNITE) Unanimously Calls for BDS Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 06/03/2010 - 21:00
Jonathan Kalmus [The JC] June 4, 2010 - Britain's largest union, Unite, has unanimously passed a motion to boycott Israeli companies at its first policy conference in Manchester on Wednesday.
United Methodist Church - New England renews divestment efforts Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 05/27/2010 - 21:00
Below you will find the report of the Divestment Taskforce (2010) of the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. Click here to read the report on the Conference website.
Two of Italy's biggest supermarket chains suspend sales of settlement produce Posted by BNC Europe on Sat, 05/22/2010 - 10:36
May 22, 2010 - Following lobbying efforts by the Italian Coalition Against Carmel-Agrexco, two major Italian supermarket chains, COOP and Nordiconad, announced the suspension of sales of products from Agrexco, the principal exporter of produce from Israel and the illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Health workers and advocates support call for U of Arizona to divest Posted by RORCoalition on Fri, 04/02/2010 - 06:57
UA Health for Human Rights, 30 March 2010 - The following press release was issued on 30 March 2010 by UA Health for Human Rights, an ad hoc group formed by the broader University Community for Human Rights, a student-led board leading divestment initiatives at the University of Arizona:
Swedish pension giant Divests from Elbit Posted by RORCoalition on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 09:20
AFP [Ynet] 31 March 2010 - Foersta AP-Fonden bans investment in Elbit because it operates surveillance system for West Bank security barrier. 'Israeli company can be linked to violations of fundamental conventions and norms,' fund's Ethical Council says
Berkeley student government approves divestment against Israel Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 03/18/2010 - 15:43
Allie Bidwell [Daily Californian] 18 March 2010 - The ASUC Senate considered a bill Wednesday night urging the University of California to divest from companies who have supplied the state of Israel with materials used in alleged war crimes.
Historic Student Divestment Resolution Passed at University of Michigan, Dearborn Posted by RORCoalition on Fri, 02/26/2010 - 09:43
University of Michigan - Dearborn Student Government General Assembly Resolution # 2010-003 Whereas, this wise body has been known to be one of strong moral and social conscience and has in the past supported justice and international law, and
Scandanavian financial institutions drop Elbit due to BDS pressure Posted by RORCoalition on Tue, 02/23/2010 - 09:49
Adri Nieuwhof [The Electronic Intifada] 19 February 2010
University of Arizona Students Launch Divestment Campaign Targetting Motorolla Posted by RORCoalition on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 10:07
Jennifer Koehmstedt [Daily Wildcat] 15 February 2010 - University of Arizona (UA) administrators are resisting a recommendation by UA students to terminate the university’s contract with the Motorola Corporation.
Pressure continues on Veolia and Alstom to halt light rail project Posted by RORCoalition on Fri, 02/05/2010 - 14:16
Adri Nieuwhof [The Electronic Intifada] 5 February 2010 - French transport giants Veolia and Alstom are involved in the construction and running of a light rail line which connects West Jerusalem to several illegal settlements in or surrounding occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem.
Proposed measure calls for state divestment in Israel Posted by RORCoalition on Fri, 02/05/2010 - 14:11
Students Against Israeli Apartheid Launch Divestment Campaign Posted by SAIA on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 06:44
SAIA - For the past several months, Students Against Israeli Apartheid – Carleton (SAIA), a student group at Carleton University in Ottawa that is committed to supporting the Palestinian struggle for freedom, has been conducting research on Carleton’s investments in Israeli apartheid. Danske Bank Divests from Elbit and Africa-Israel Posted by RORCoalition on Tue, 01/26/2010 - 12:09
25 January 2010 [Copenhagen Post] - Africa Israel Investments and Elbit Systems have been added to Danske Bank’s list of companies that fail to adhere to its Socially Responsible Investment policy.
Israeli Bank, Owned by Europeans, Cuts Off Yesha Posted by RORCoalition on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 09:56
[IsraelNN.com] The parent bank of Dexia Bank, owned by French and Belgian interests, has notified regional councils in Judea and Samaria it is cutting off their line of credit. The Dexia Bank in Israel denies accusations that the decision was based on poliitcal considerations.
French Appeals Court Confirms Jurisdiction over Alstom Case Posted by RORCoalition on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 06:00
[La version française suit] AFPS, 22 December 2009 -- The Court of Appeal of Versailles confirms the jurisdiction of the Tribunal of Nanterre regarding the legal claim brought by AFPS against Véolia transport, Alstom and Alstom transport regarding the construction and operation of a light railway in East Jerusalem. Second-largest Dutch Pension Fund Divests from Leviev's Africa Israel Posted by RORCoalition on Mon, 12/14/2009 - 13:49
Adri Nieuwhof, Electronic Intifada, 9 December 2009 - Last month, the second-largest Dutch pension fund PFZW joined an already impressive group of investors that have divested from Africa-Israel.
Update on AFPS court case against Véolia and Alstom Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 12/03/2009 - 12:18
Veolia and Alstom continue to abet Israel's rights violations Posted by RORCoalition on Tue, 11/24/2009 - 15:52
Adri Nieuwhof [Electronic Intifada] 24 November 2009 - Despite mounting pressure to withdraw from the light rail project in Jerusalem designed to serve the needs of Israel's illegal settlements, the French transportation giant Veolia is set to be highly involved in the project for the next five years. Volvo providing armored buses for Israeli settlements Posted by RORCoalition on Fri, 10/09/2009 - 09:12
Adri Nieuwhof
Veolia still intertwined with Israel's occupation Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 09/17/2009 - 08:40
Adri Nieuwhof U.S. pension fund giant confirms divestment from Israel firm Posted by RORCoalition on Sun, 09/13/2009 - 16:46
Ora Coren [Haaretz] 12 September 2009 -- The U.S. pension fund giant, TIAA-CREF, confirmed in statements to the media on Friday that it divested from Africa Israel Investments, owned by Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev, earlier this year. The statements came in response to a letter initiated by a pro-Palestinian group, Adalah-NY, and signed by TIAA-CREF clients. n/a
BlackRock does not wish to explain Posted by StopTheWall on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 08:06
[Norwatch] - The British fiduciary BlackRock refutes information from Norwatch that they divested from a West Bank firm after pressure from Norwegian investors. But the company does not wish to precise exactly what they think is wrong in the coverage.
Norwegian Pension Fund divests from Israeli military giant Elbit Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 11:40
Supplier of surveillance equipment for the separation barrier in the West Bank excluded from the Government Pension Fund – Global
n/a
n/a
BlackRock Bank Divests from Settlement Construction Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 08/20/2009 - 08:07
The British bank BlackRock has divested from Lev Leviev settlement projects on West Bank. The divestment follows pressure by three Norwegian banks marketing BlackRock funds. BlackRock was second biggest shareholder in the controversial Israeli firm.
BDS Newsletter #16 - June 2009 Posted by StopTheWall on Wed, 08/05/2009 - 09:30
[Stop the Wall] - This edition of the Stop the Wall BDS newsletter covers the many BDS protests and new campaign launches that occurred in France, USA and Canada. New groups took up BDS this month in Canada and Germany. Several victories are also covered, among them Veolia and Dexia Israel. Norway examines the ethics of its Israel investments Posted by StopTheWall on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 11:50
[Amira Hass, Haaretz] - Norway is reexamining its investments in several Israeli companies, in particular Elbit Systems. HeidelbergCement tries to sell West Bank mines as legal, boycott pressures grow Posted by RORCoalition on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 06:36
Caterpillar faces demonstrators in shareholders meeting Posted by StopTheWall on Sat, 06/20/2009 - 05:00
Dexia Israel stops financing Israeli settlements Posted by RORCoalition on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 10:58
Martijn Lauwens - The Belgian-French financial group Dexia has announced it will no longer finance Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories through its Israeli branch Dexia Israel.
France: Launch of Broad Campaign against Agrexco Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 05:50
BDS Campaign Breakthrough: Veolia poised to abandon Jerusalem Light Rail Posted by RORCoalition on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 11:39
In the first smashing and convincing victory of the global BDS movement in the field of corporate responsibility and ethical compliance, Veolia is reportedly abandoning the Jerusalem Light Rail project, an illegal project that aims at connecting Israeli colonies built on occupied Palestinian territory to the city of Jerusalem. Caterpillar under Fire for Human Rights Abuses for Sixth Year in a Row Posted by RORCoalition on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 08:48
PA Calls on Saudi Arabia to Scrap Deal with Alstom Posted by RORCoalition on Mon, 06/01/2009 - 09:28
Below - Saudi told to axe rail deal over Israel link (Maktoob.com) - Palestine urges withdrawal of rail contract (Gulf News)
New York Protesters Call for Mother’s Day Boycott of Leviev Diamonds over Israeli Settlements Posted by OPGAI on Sun, 05/10/2009 - 10:34
*New York, NY, May 9 *– On the day before Mother’s Day, 40 New York human rights advocates gathered at the Leviev jewelry store on Madison Avenue and called on throngs of weekend Madison Avenue shoppers to boycott Israeli diamond mogul Lev Leviev over his companies’ construction of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land in West Bank villages including Bil’in and Jayyous.
Villages and organizations ask Norway to divest from Leviev’s Africa-Israel over settlements Posted by Adalah NY on Wed, 05/06/2009 - 15:10
Adri Nieuwhof and Omar Barghouti
Jayyous broad coalition To:
Canadian Military Exports to Israel: Aiding and Abetting War Crimes in Gaza (2008-2009) [COAT]
By Richard Sanders, Coordinator, Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT); Editor, Press for Conversion! magazine
Veolia and Alstom, the two large French companies involved in the illegal "Jerusalem Light Rail" project, are suffering more setbacks, in court and on the ground.
Adri Nieuwhof [The Electronic Intifada] 1 April 2009 - In a remarkably short period of time, activists in Belgium have built a strong basis for the campaign "Israel colonizes -- Dexia funds," asking the bank to divest from its subsidiary Dexia Israel
Lisa Jones [Wales Online] 27 February 2009 - A THREE-DAY sit-in by students protesting against their university’s investment in major arms companies has ended.
Stuart Littlewood [Palestine Chronicle] - God whispered in the Church of England's ear and it dumped its shares in Caterpillar. This House of God had about £2.5m invested in a company that manufactures one of Israel's weapons of mass misery and destruction.
Sumoud Political Prisoners Solidarity Group - Today New York University has shown its true face more than ever. Claiming to be a "private university in the public service," it is clearly not even in the service of those students whose tuitions allow it to exist.
========
At approximately 10pm on Feb. 18, students of Take Back NYU! took over the Kimmel Marketplace. They blockaded the doors and declared an occupation!
They presented the following demands to the NYU administration:
*Who Profits from the Israeli Occupation?* -- *Announcing a new on-line database: www.whoprofits.org* In February 2007, AFPS brought suit to the Magistrates’ Court of Nanterre against VEOLIA TRANSPORT and ALSTOM seeking to obtain cancellation of the contract for the construction and operation of a light rail system in the West Bank, signed in July 2005 between these two companies and the Israeli government, within the City Pass consor The Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire has recently passed a resolution to support the call for divestment from corporations that allow and profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The resolution intends to increase awareness of the companies that actively participate in the oppression of Palestine, and to divest from these companies. By The Alternative Information Center - On 1 November a group of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists, in response to the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, joined
Among the speakers at the seminar entitled “Boycott of Israel - how and why?” are the former leader of the Norwegian Peoples Aid, Finn Erik Thoresen, who was also active in the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa, as well as Olav Terje Bergo, who is the editor of Bergensavisen, a local newspaper , that has in the past called for sanctions against Israel.
A network of seventeen Palestinian human rights NGOs today launched a campaign to mobilize the international community to end Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians from Jerusalem. The Forward: If a local activist group has its way, Seattle could soon become the first major American city to divest from companies that provide material support to Israel. Josh Ruebner, ZNet: Today, two movements for the promotion of human rights in Sudan and Palestine seek to emulate the successful role played by boycotts, divestment, and sanctions in achieving democracy and equality in South Africa. The two movements, however, have received radically different receptions on Capitol Hill. The Socialist Left Party, one of three parties in the Norwegian government, has renewed its support for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. Ten thousand people braved the rain on June 9th to march for Palestine in Cape Town under the banner 'Free Palestine! End Israeli Occupation!' The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in London published on its website a link to my article "Volvo: Symbol of safety or human rights abuses?," and asked the company to respond. At 1pm on 18 August, approximately 20 activists from London, Brighton, Reading and the nearby Climate Camp entered the Carmel Agrexco site in Hayes Middlesex where some activists have D-locked the gat n August 2006 activists called on the public to divest from Dexia Bank because of its links to Israeli finance. The bank has retail outlets in Luxembourg and Belgium. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which has almost five million members in the US, took a step toward a partial boycott of Israeli goods at its 2007 Churchwide Assembly in Chicago last week, Saturday 19 August.
Ratcheting up the simmering debate over how Protestant denominations should express their concern about Israel, the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church is advising congregations and individuals to divest their holdings from a wide variety of American corporations that the United Methodists believe support the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.
|
