American Jewish Congress Launches Campaign to Fight Divestment and Threats to Israel's Economy
American Jewish Congress
Date: 03-29-05
NEW YORK, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Congress President Paul Miller today called for an end to efforts by certain church groups to divest in whole or in part from companies that do business in Israel, and announced a counter-campaign to blunt its impact:
"There is an ill-advised and troublesome effort calling for total or selective divestment from corporations that do business with Israel, and to pressure others, such as Caterpillar Inc., to stop selling products to Israel. Preying on the emotions of well-meaning individuals who think that they are contributing to peace, these divestment campaigns coincides with other efforts which seek to undermine Israel's self-defense, its economy and its legitimacy, and to pressure Israel to make concessions during peace negotiations with the Palestinians. It is time to make it clear that these tactics will not work," Miller said.
Miller continued, "While all people of conscience want to see peace in the Middle East, the sponsors of campaigns such as these rely on a one-sided narrative that omits the central fact that Israel has tried to negotiate peace for many years, and omits that, at least until recently, the Palestinian Authority has responded consistently with violence. Ignoring history, they pretend that Israel and its 'occupation' are the source of all problems in the region, rather than recognizing that terrorism and the refusal of Israel's neighbors to use peaceful means to resolve the conflict are what actually prevent a solution."
Miller announced that the American Jewish Congress is launching a coordinated effort in opposition to the divestment campaign and to support Israel's economy overall. These include the following steps:
* AJCongress has bought shares of Caterpillar stock and will urge
Caterpillar directors and officers to refuse to buckle under pressure;
it will use its shares to oppose a shareholder resolution opposing
equipment sales to Israel or any entity of the Israeli government.
* AJCongress will seek to forge a coalition with Christian leaders as
well as other Jewish organizations opposed to this divesture program,
to urge an end to such misguided efforts which harm Israel's economy.
* AJCongress will initiate a letter writing campaign to church leaders.
* AJCongress will seek pledges of investment in all companies targeted
for divestment, and launch a series of advertisements in financial
publications urging investment.
* AJCongress will host a website and a blog to promote its program and
communicate with campaign supporters.
* In cooperation with International Academic Friends of Israel (IAFI),
AJCongress will conduct a series of conferences in Israel in support of
Israel's technologically based economy and in support of business
opportunities within Israel. The program will bring together biomedical
and other high-tech experts from the U.S., Israel, Europe and Asia.
With the assistance of Tel Aviv University and American experts, the
conferences will also address ways to protect Israel's intellectual
capital, and to foster incentives for the expansion of high-tech
companies in Israel;
* And, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, AJCongress has
begun an effort to help promote an alternative energy industry in
Israel. AJCongress is supporting legislation for energy cooperation
between the U.S. and Israel.
The American Jewish Congress is a membership association of Jewish Americans, organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad, through public policy advocacy, in the courts, Congress, the executive branch and state and local governments. It also works overseas with others who are similarly engaged.
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Source: American Jewish Congress
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