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Palestine/Israel
News and Information
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| 19/3/06 |
Jewish groups support Church of England call to disinvest from Caterpillar - Jewish accusations of anti-Semitism “grotesque” |
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Spotlight By Redress Information & Analysis 19 March 2006 www.redress.btinternet.co.uk/cofe.htm Representatives of Israeli and Jewish organizations have written to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, supporting the Church of England Synod’s call to disinvest from Caterpillar and other companies profiting from the Israeli occupation. The letter notes that Caterpillar custom-makes its D-9 and D-10 bulldozers for the express purpose of demolishing Palestinian homes. It describes as “grotesque” the fact that “Jews who have suffered displacement and exile could possibly defend the demolition of thousands of Palestinian homes or any aspect of the occupation”. Below is the text of the letter. We, the undersigned representatives of Israeli and Jewish organizations, have witnessed the occupation first hand. In our view, Israel’s occupation and settlement policies stem more from territorial claims than from genuine concerns of security, which can only be addressed through a complete end to the occupation and peace with the Palestinians. Of the 12,000 Palestinian homes demolished by Israel in the occupied territories since 1967, fewer than 5 per cent were demolished for security reasons (and even then we oppose demolition as a form of collective punishment, illegal under international law). In 95 per cent of the cases the families involved were completely innocent of any security offence and were never even accused of, or charged with, any offence. We therefore extend to you and the Church of England our unreserved support of the synod’s call to disinvest from Caterpillar and other companies profiting from the occupation. This is an entirely appropriate moral stand for civil society to take. Caterpillar custom-makes its massive D-9 and D-10 bulldozers for the express purpose of demolishing Palestinian homes, and their machines are sold to Israel as military equipment. The demolition of Palestinian homes is prohibited by international law. The right to a home and decent housing is a fundamental human right. The Fourth Geneva Convention requires an occupying power to protect the well-being of vulnerable civilians under its control, and forbids collective punishment. In the light of the ongoing and extremely severe human rights violations committed by the Israeli government in the occupied territories, we believe that sanctions against the occupation have a solid moral foundation. We can only hope that with your support the decision of the Synod to endorse divestment will not be undone by the unfortunate decision of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group. As Israelis and Jews, we also deplore the statements of those who have labelled the synod members, including yourself, as anti-Semitic. It is inconceivable to us – indeed, we find it grotesque – that Jews who have suffered displacement and exile could possibly defend the demolition of thousands of Palestinian homes or any aspect of the occupation. We hope they come to understand that the occupation threatens to destroy the entire moral fabric of the Jewish community, in Israel as well as in the diaspora. We hope that the call of your church for divestment in Caterpillar will resonate with the prophetic tradition of our own people, so that the leaders of British Jewry will join with your initiative. What unites us is the understanding that either Israelis and Palestinians achieve a just peace or both peoples continue their downward spiral into violence and suffering. Your call for divestment in companies profiting from the occupation represents an important brake on that downward spiral. Yesher koakh, be you of moral strength. [signed by the following organisations and their representatives]
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