To the United Methodist Church Pension Fund

We are citizens of Israel, who support the Palestinian Civil Society BDS call [1]. We write to congratulate you on your recent vote to disinvest from five Israeli banks as well as Israeli construction company Shikun & Binui, in accordance with the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) of complicit Israeli institutions [2]. This practical act of non-participation will impact the lives of millions of people for the better! 

According to recent reports, we understand that the church is still invested in ten companies located inside the illegal settlements and in several others that profit from Israel’s military occupation, companies which actively enable colonization of Palestinian lands logistically. We encourage you to take the next steps to disinvest from all companies that are involved in these war crimes. In particular, we strongly encourage you to disinvest from three companies which are highly complicit in violations of human rights: Caterpillar [4] HP [5] and Motorola [6]. The complicity of these companies has been thoroughly documented, and unfortunately they have refused to heed our calls for years

The policies implemented time and time again by successive Israeli government, since the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948, have inflicted terrible suffering on millions of human beings. In order to start building a future of equality, justice and peace and prosperity, for all of us living here, we must all come together and hold the Israeli government, as well as complicit Israeli companies, to account.

Sincerely,
Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within
(Israeli citizens for BDS)


[1] http://boycottisrael.info/
[2] http://www.bdsmovement.net/call
[3] http://www.wespath.com/investment_philosophy/human-rights-guideline-impl...
[4] http://bdsmovement.net/tag/caterpillar
[5] http://bdsmovement.net/tag/hp
[6] http://bdsmovement.net/tag/motorola