JVP Applauds Church of England’s Groundbreaking Vote to Divest from Caterpillar,Inc.
JVP Applauds Church of England’s Groundbreaking
Vote to Divest from Caterpillar,Inc. Contact: Liat Weingart (510) 465-1777 (office) Tuesday, February 7, 2006 [Oakland, CA] - Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), the country’s largest Jewish grassroots peace group, today applauded the vote by the Church of England to divest its $3.84 million in shares from Caterpillar, Inc. “Caterpillar sells weaponized bulldozers which are used by the Israeli military to destroy Palestinian civilian homes and orchards in violation of international human rights laws,” said JVP Director of Campaigns Liat Weingart. “Because governments have failed to end the occupation, it’s up to faith-based institutions, NGOs, labor unions and individual citizens to take the lead in seeking justice. The Church of England’s vote to use economic pressure stands in the best tradition of nonviolent efforts for change.” The Church of England’s Synod voted on the evening of February 6, 2006 to “disinvest from companies profiting from the illegal occupation, such as Caterpillar, Inc., until they change their policies.” The Presbyterian Church is currently investigating whether or not to selectively divest from corporations profiting from Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. JVP, which has chapters in major cities across the United States and includes member groups Not In My Name in Chicago and Voices of Peace with Justice in Boston, is a major leader in the nonviolent movement to use morally responsible investment to pressure Israel to end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. In 2004 and 2005, Jewish Voice for Peace filed shareholder resolutions in Caterpillar, Inc., requesting that the company investigate whether or not its sale of weaponized bulldozers to the Israeli military violates its code of conduct. The resolution won the support of investors holding close to 3/4 billion dollars of CAT stock, including CalPERS, the largest pension fund in the world. Regardless, the company refused to investigate, and citizens’ groups continued to pressure it to stop profiting from violence in the Middle East. __________________________________________________________________ Jewish Voice for Peace is a
national grassroots organization dedicated to promoting a US foreign policy in the Middle East based on democracy, human rights and respect for international law. JVP
is a voice for the silent majority of American Jews who polls consistently show
supports a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and an end to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East
Jerusalem. For information
about the conflict and expert sources go to www.JewishVoiceforPeace.org. The CAT
campaign: www.CatDestroysHomes.org
-30-
© Copyright by JewishVoiceForPeace.org |