divesting from Israel:

A HANDBOOK
bui l di ng peopl e- t o- peopl e t i es
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Table of Contents
Divesting from Israel.................................................................................................... Divestment-1
Israeli Apartheid: The South African Comparison.......................................................................................... 1
Divestment and BoycottFrequently Asked Questions ................................................................................. 3
Start Your Own Divestment Campaign.......................................................................................................... 5
Step 1: Do Your ResearchIdentify Your Targets ............................................................................................... 5
Step 2: Coalition Building and Public Education .............................................................................................. 5
Step 3: Building the Global Movement ............................................................................................................. 8
Step 4: Pass a Divestment Resolution ................................................................................................................ 8
Sample Divestment Resolution .......................................................................................................... 10
Educational Materialscopy and distribute these flyers, brochures, and stickers ..... 10
Israel BondsInvesting in Inequality
Shop-in Stickers
Apartheid Wall brochure
Reasons to Oppose U.S. Aid to Israel
Global Exchange is an international human rights organization dedicated to
promoting environmental, political and social justice. Since our founding
in 1988, we have increased the U.S. publics global awareness while
building partnerships among peoples around the world.
Global Exchange would like to thank Sarah Lockhart, Rula Khalafawi, and
Ladan Sobhani for writing and editing the Divestment section of this toolkit.
To order copies of this How-To Guide, e-mail palestine@globalexchange.org
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DIVESTMENT3
Divestment from Israel
The divest-from-Israel movement is gaining unprecedented momentum both in the United States and around the world. On
April 17, 2003, the Student Council at Wayne State University in Michigan voted to divest from all companies doing business in
Israel. Divestment campaigns are also well underway at other university campuses across the country, and the movement is slowly
spreading to the general public as well. Universities are a powerful force for divestment, with their large endowments and
investment portfolios, but there are many other institutions you can target in your campaign. This booklet will help you identify
your target institution and begin researching its holdings, define your campaign goals, create a petition, enlist support through
media outreach and educational events, pass a divestment resolution, and connect with the global divestment movement. There
are also a number of educational materials for you to print and use as you educate potential supporters. Check out Global
Exchanges Palestine Program web site at www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/palestine for more resources. Keep us posted on
your efforts and let us know how we can help!
Israeli Apartheid:
The South African Comparison
On August 31, 2001, in what may have been the largest protest
in South Africa since the fall of apartheid, 30,000 to 50,000
South Africans took to the streets of Durban to speak out in
support of the Palestinian people. The event was organized by
SANGOCO (South African NGO Coalition), the PSC
(Palestine Solidarity Committee), the Durban Social Forum,
and a number of other grassroots groups. It was timed to
coincide with the United Nations World Conference on
Racism, but the demonstration was not only joined by
delegates but also thousands of South Africans: activists, trade
unionists, students, and others. Their message was clear:
Zionism = Racism.
The protest caused an international controversy as Israel, the
United States, and other Israeli allies condemned the
demonstrators and withdrew their delegates. Israel defended
its policies toward the Palestinians as politically, not racially,
motivated. The South Africans failed to see the distinction,
and many of the speakers at the conferences opening
ceremonies voiced their support for discussing the Palestine
issue, including the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights, Mary Robinson.
1
The South Africans experience with apartheid makes them
sensitive to the Palestinian plight. They recognize the same
patterns in the South African and Palestinian experience: limited
or no citizenship rights, segregation, arbitrary detentions,
collective punishment, and other injustices based on race,
nationality, ethnicity, or religion.
There are two different groups of Palestinians living under Israeli
apartheid: Palestinians who are citizens of Israel and Palestinians
living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. Palestinians living under occupation do not have
citizenship in any country nor do they have voting rights in
Israel, but they are subject to the laws and policies of the Israeli
government and its military. Since the occupation began in
1967, Israel has been constructing colonies for Jewish Israelis
throughout the West Bank and Gaza, and the pace of
construction doubled in the 1990s. There are now 205 Israeli
settlements and 74 outposts in the territories; 15 new
settlements have been approved since March 2001.
2
These
colonies are completely off-limits to Palestinians. There is an
entire network of high-quality roads that connect the various
settlements, which Palestinians are also banned from using.
These roads isolate Palestinian communities from each other
and, along with the time-consuming and humiliating
checkpoint system, make traveling even short distances a
grueling process.
These colonies, bypass roads, and checkpoints have effectively
created an Israeli version of the South African Bantustans. Under
apartheid in South Africa, the white government created so-
called homelands for black South Africans. The whites revoked
blacks citizenship and relegated them to isolated, undesirable
areas of the country, claiming to have given them independence.
In reality, they stripped black Africans of their rights and
resources, and the homelands were economically, militarily, and
politically dependent on white South Africa. Israel has done
something similar in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The
Palestinian Authority is given official recognition as the
representative of the Palestinian people in the occupied
territories, but it has very little real power. The Israeli military
invades the area at will, disregarding the authority of the PA
police force, and top PA leaders have been threatened with
assassination and held under house arrest. The occupied
territories are under Israels economic and military stranglehold;
Palestinians cant work, go to school, or even leave their home
without Israeli permission. At the same time, they are confined
to shrinking pieces of land as Israel seizes the most desirable
DIVESTMENT4
locations and builds Jewish settlements that surround Palestinian
cities and towns. Although the idea of a truly independent state
was likely never any more realistic than an independent
Bantustan in South Africa, it is now a near impossibility.
The isolation of the Palestinians in the occupied territories will
be almost complete in June 2003 when Israel finishes the first
phase of its apartheid wall along the Green Line (Israels de
facto border with the West Bank). The wall, re-enforced with
trenches, electric fences, and security patrols, will be 72 miles
(116 kilometers) long in the first phase and will eventually run
the entire 217-mile (350-kilometer) length of the West Bank.
The construction of the wall has destroyed numerous Palestinian
homes, expropriated land in the occupied territories, and
separated Palestinians from their farmland. The district of
Qalqilya in the northern West Bank, for example, will be
completely encircled by the wall, with only one guarded entrance
and exit.
3
Although Israel claims it is building the wall to secure
its own borders, the wall will literally imprison hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank, creating a physical
manifestation of Israels apartheid.
Life in a Jewish colony in the West Bank or Gaza Strip is vastly
different from life in a Palestinian town. The colonies expropriate
a large amount of water, filling family swimming pools while
Palestinians struggle to get drinking water, take showers, and
water their crops. Each Israeli in Israel consumes as much water
as do four Palestinians in the territories; each Israeli settler in
the occupied territories uses as much water as do seventeen
Palestinians.
4
Thirty percent of the Israeli colonists living in
the territories also own a home in Israel, and nearly all of them
have an income significantly higher than that of the average
Israeli, although their tax burden is significantly lower because
of government grants and tax breaks.
5
The disparity in living
standards between the Israeli occupiers and the Palestinians
living under the occupation is inexcusable and dangerous.
Palestinians are justifiably resentful as they watch luxurious
settlements spring up around them, funded by the Israeli
government, while their homes are bulldozed because Israel
refused to issue them the required building permits.
Palestinians within Israel constitute 18% of the population
(1,057,800 out of a total population of 5,757,900). Although
these Palestinians have Israeli citizenship, the government only
guarantees equal rights for citizens (and noncitizens) with
Jewish nationality. In fact, all people with this Jewish
nationality can automatically become citizens, even if they have
never stepped foot in Israel. On the other hand, Israels stated
policy is to never grant citizenship to non-Jews who wish to
immigrate to Israel, automatically banning all of the Palestinians
who fled or were forced off their land during the establishment
of Israel but desperately want to return to the land they lived
on for generations.
Palestinian neighborhoods receive less than one fifth of the
budgeted municipal services that their Jewish counterparts
receive. In many cases, especially in Bedouin communities, Israel
simply refuses to recognize the existence of the Arab
communities. Because the government denies the legality of
these villages, it refuses to issue permits to build or repair homes
and does not provide electricity, water, health services, education,
roads, or any other infrastructure. The results of this policy are
embarrassing for such a highly developed country: in the Negev,
for example, 70% of Bedouin infants are not fully immunized
and one third must be hospitalized within their first year
of life.
Palestinian-Israelis have little recourse within the democratic
system to challenge the blatant, institutionalized discrimination
against them. They have little voice in the Knesset (the Israeli
parliament) or in other branches of the government. Socially,
Palestinian-Israelis are shunned by the Jewish majority, sent to
separate schools, and discriminated against in both admissions
to universities and in employment. Jewish Israelis have made it
clear that non-Jewish citizens are unwanted and have no place
(beyond performing menial labor) within Israeli society. This
position is no more defensible than that of the segregationist
American south before the civil rights movement, the apartheid
government of South Africa, or any other racist regime.
Although it is tragic to see apartheid once again rear its ugly
head, the South African experience can give us hope. It shows
us that peaceful, international, grassroots activism can work. It
shows us that a people can move beyond hate, violence, and
retribution to reach for peace, healing, and coexistence. This
process is not easy, but it is not impossible. It is time for all of
us to reject the idea that separate is ever equal. It is time for us
to tell the Israelis that they must share their state with the people
who were there when they arrived. It is time to end apartheid,
once and for all.
1
WCAR Daily Report, Aug. 29, 2001, Human Rights Internet NGO
Forum, http://www.hri.ca/racism/dailyupdates/aug29.shtml, (5 Feb. 2003)
2
Fact Sheet: Israeli Settlements on Occupied Palestinian Territories,
The Palestine Monitor: The Voice of Civil Society, http://www.
palestinemonitor.org/factsheet/settlement.html, (5 Feb. 2003)
3
11,000 Palestinians Between Israels Apartheid Wall and Green Line,
LAW- The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights & the
Environment, http://www.lawsociety.org/Press/Preleases/2002/sep/
sep25.html, (5 Feb. 2003)
4
Fact Sheet: Israeli Settlements on Occupied Palestinian Territories,
The Palestine Monitor: The Voice of Civil Society, http://www.
palestinemonitor.org/factsheet/settlement.html, (5 Feb. 2003)
5
Fact Sheet: Israeli Settlement Policy, Palestine Solidarity Campaign,
http://www.palestinecampaign.org/resources.asp?#factsheets, (5 Feb. 2003)
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DIVESTMENT5
Divestment and Boycott:
Peaceful ways that YOU can change the world
For the past several decades, the Israeli government has continuously violated United Nations resolutions and international
humanitarian law. In the creation of Israel in 1948, 75% percent of the Palestinians were dispossessed of their land and sent into
exile. Then in 1967, Israel illegally occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza, creating a new wave of refugees.
Palestinians who remained in Israel live as third class citizens, facing legal, economic, and social discrimination. In the occupied
territories, Israel continues to subject the Palestinians there to home demolitions, closures and checkpoints, extrajudicial detentions
and assassinations, immobilizing curfews, and countless other daily abuses and forms of oppression. The system of apartheid
that Israel has developed closely resembles that which South Africa once had. Apartheid in South Africa was eventually abolished
in large part because of an international grassroots movement to stop financial support of the apartheid regime. Through divestment
(stopping capital investment in companies that do business in Israel) and boycott (not buying Israeli products) we can bring justice
to the Israelis and Palestinians as well. The following questions can help you as you decide to join this growing movement:
What are the goals of this divestment/boycott campaign?
The divestment/boycott campaign seeks to build a peaceful,
international, grassroots movement that will pressure
companies to withdraw their investments from Israel. This
withdrawal, along with a consumer boycott of Israeli
products, will eventually isolate Israel economically and
diplomatically, pressuring Israel to live up to its obligations
under international law.
The campaign will help dismantle Israels apartheid system
under which Palestinians live and end the construction of
colonies in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Furthermore, it will pressure the U.S. government to
transform its Middle East policy from one that is biased
and destructive to one that seeks genuine justice and peace
for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.
The campaign will hopefully help Israeli citizens themselves
realize that maintaining the occupation and racial
discrimination against Palestinians is morally abhorrent and
an economic drain on Israel.
The campaign will end when Palestinians are finally allowed
the rights of freedom and self-determination, when
Palestinians inside Israel are given equal civil rights, when
there is a just solution for the 5 million Palestinian refugees
who wish to return home, and when there is equality, peace
and security for all people of the region.
Can divestment from Israel be called anti-Semitic?
Absolutely not.
Anti-Semitism goes against the very principles that are the
foundation of this movement: justice, equality, human rights,
and peace for ALL peoples. It is important to separate Israeli
policies from the Jewish people, many of whom support
divestment. Divestment and boycott campaigns target Israeli,
not Jewish, products. The campaign also targets American-
owned companies that do business in Israel and fund the
occupation, but it is not anti-American. Charges of anti-
Semitism are poor attempts to distract from the real problem:
Israels apartheid.
Why are we singling out Israel? What about all of the other
countries that abuse human rights?
As Americans we have a unique responsibility to hold Israel
accountable for its human rights abuses because of the billions
of dollars in military and financial aid Israel receives from us
each year. In fact, Israel is the single largest U.S. foreign aid
recipient, despite having the fourth largest military and the 17th
largest economy in the world. Should we have refrained from
challenging apartheid South Africa because there were abuses
throughout the world? Of course not! There are many
compelling similarities between Israel and apartheid-era South
Africa. Here are just a few:
In apartheid-era South Africa, only whites had full rights.
In Israel, Palestinian citizens may vote and run for election,
but only Jews have full rights to obtain land, receive military
veteran benefits, and immigrate under the Law of Return.
Palestinians in the occupied territories are subject to Israeli
rule without any democratic voting rights even though they
pay Israeli taxes.
White South African rulers during apartheid wanted a
strong white South Africa with few or no black citizens. To
achieve this goal, they transferred black South Africans to
Bantustans, which were nominally autonomous, but
weak, black homelands, with the intent of isolating them
from the rest of the country. Similarly, Israel is building
Jewish-only settlements or colonies across the Palestinian
territories, cutting off access between cities with checkpoints
and Jewish-only roads. Israel is now building a massive
cement wall three times as long and twice as high as the
Berlin wall that will completely encircle some areas of the
West Bank. The wall is destroying the most fertile lands in
the West Bank or annexing them into Israel. This is a
physical manifestation of Israels apartheid policies.
DIVESTMENT6
Arent both the Israelis and Palestinians committing violence?
While both sides have been violent towards each other, there
are key distinctions between the two sides that the mainstream
media and pro-Israel voices tend to disregard.
First, Israel is the occupier and aggressor in this conflict,
and it has inflicted tremendous pain and desperation upon
the Palestinian people. There is no moral symmetry between
the violence that the occupier (Israel) commits and the
violence that the oppressed (the Palestinians) commit.
Palestinian acts of violence must be judged in the context
of Israels decades of aggression, dispossession, and
oppression of the entire Palestinian people. There is no
justification for the killing of innocent Palestinians or
Israelis, however Palestinians are resisting a violent
occupation by a superior military power. We must
remember that the black African National Congress (ANC)
also used violence in its struggle against the white
government. This recognition does not excuse violence, but
its use by some Palestinians cannot invalidate the right to
freedom and self-determination for all Palestinians, and it
does not justify Israels brutal occupation and use of
collective punishment against the Palestinians.
Second, there is an incredible power difference between
Israel and the Palestinians that clearly shows this is not a
conflict between two equal parties. Israel is the superpower
in this conflict. Israels highly advanced and well-trained
military, funded primarily by US taxpayers, is the fourth
strongest on the planet. Israel is a recognized state with one
of the most developed economies in the world, and still
receives billions of dollars in aid annually from the United
States. Palestinians, on the other hand, have no recognized
state (they are stateless), no military or advanced weaponry,
a weak economy dependent on Israel, and soaring
unemployment. Palestinians live under Israeli rule, which
restricts their travel and often confines them to their homes.
Israel has at least twenty laws that apply differently to
Palestinians. Even in sheer numbers, the Palestinian death
toll far exceeds the Israeli death toll. As an occupying power,
Israel has a responsibility to follow international law,
particularly the 4th Geneva Convention, and provide for
the civilians under its rule. Israel has clearly failed in that
duty, and thus the international community must bring
justice to the Palestinians.
Is the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
necessary to maintain Israeli security?
No. If Israel were truly occupying these areas to provide security
for Israel proper, it would not be allowing and encouraging
civilians settlers to move into the region. Throughout the 1990s,
Israel continued to construct permanent colonies in the
Palestinian territories (even though the Oslo agreements between
the two parties forbid it). Israeli civilians have been encouraged
to move to these settlements through tax incentives and bargain
real estate deals. These Israeli colonists actually create more
of a security risk; many are considered right-wing fanatics by
most of their countrymen, and they aggravate the conflict by
carrying machine guns, uprooting Palestinian orchards, and
harassing Palestinian in their neighborhoods and markets. The
Palestinians are denied access to the colonists communities,
which expropriate large quantities of Palestinian land and water,
and are forbidden from using the bypass roads that now
crisscross the territories. These colonies and the roads that
connect them form the basis for Israels apartheid state.
Palestinians are confined to smaller and increasingly isolated
areas, similar to the black homelands in South Africa under
apartheid. The hopelessness and resentment that Israel has
created through this colonization policy continue to create a
greater security risk for Israel.
What impact will a boycott really have?
Although the true economic impact of a boycott is unknown,
its value in raising awareness of Israels occupation is tremendous.
When we exercise our economic power and take a moral stance
as individuals and as a community to speak out against
oppression, we get the attention of world leaders. We must
support businesses that are guided by strong ethical principles,
not simply profit.
How does investing in Israel relate to the policies of occupa-
tion and apartheid?
Some investments have very direct links to the Israeli occupation
of the Palestinian territories and the oppression of the Palestinian
people. United Technologies, for example, sells Blackhawk
helicopters to Israel, which Israel then uses to attack Palestinian
civilians in the occupied territories. Caterpillar is another
company that contributes directly to the Israels brutal military
rule. Caterpillar bulldozers are routinely used to demolish
Palestinian homes, often killing inhabitants inside. A young
American peace activist was recently murdered by an Israeli
soldier when she was run over by a Caterpillar bulldozer. Other
connections are less apparent but crucial nonetheless. Hewlett
Packard, for example, owns part of the Technion Institute in
Israel, a prestigious college that also develops high-tech weaponry
for the Israeli military. Israel Bonds are another form of
investment that support Israels apartheid. Revenues from
government bond sales go directly into Israels treasury. Bond
money is used for infrastructure improvement projects,
including illegal construction in the Palestinian territories. It is
also used to resettle Jewish immigrants who are welcomed into
Israel while Palestinian refugees are denied the right to ever
return home. Even seemingly innocuous investments in Israel
are actually funding the violation of fundamental Palestinian
human rights.
DIVESTMENT7
Step 1: Do Your Research
Identify Your Targets
By now, you are convinced that boycotting and divesting from
Israel is the way to go. You see this movement as a powerful,
grassroots way to get the attention of the Israeli government
and bring justice to the Palestinian people. Now what?
Do Your Research
There are many institutions that you can pressure to divest from
Israel. Take some time to brainstorm and research different
institutions investment portfolios. The best place to start is
with yourself. Do you personally have any investments in Israel?
Review the stocks that are part of any mutual fund or company
pension fund in which you invest. Then, look to your
community and institutions to which you have a personal
connection. Check out the following possibilities, and
brainstorm more relevant targets:
University endowments
Labor unions
Pension funds (such as a state teachers retirement system
or city pension fund)
Municipalities
Insurance companies
Also consider directly pressuring companies that sell consumer
products made in Israel or that invest in Israel. Talk to local
stores to get them to de-shelve Israeli products. If the stores are
not responsive, you may decide to boycott them to protest their
complicity in supporting the Israeli governments oppression
of the Palestinians, even indirectly.
Identify Your Targets
Thoroughly research different institutions investment port-
folios. Although it may not be readily available, public
institutions cant hide this information from us. Call your city
hall, visit your universitys business office, surf the Internet, and
do whatever research you can to choose the best target. Use the
resources in this booklet to find out what investments you should
be keeping an eye out for.
Make Decisions
Once you have identified potential targets and have gathered
information, you can then decide what to divest from. This
decision will depend on the institutions holdings and your
preferences or your groups preferences. Consider divesting from,
or boycotting, the following:
U.S. companies doing business in Israel (see: www.global
exchange. org/countries/palestine/usinvestments. html)
Producers of military equipment for Israel (see: www.
globalexchange.org/countries/palestine/arms.html)
Israel Bonds
Companies based in the settlements
Consumer products from Israel
Israeli academic institutions
Step 2: Coalition Building and Public Education
Building coalitions with other groups in your community is
essential to any divestment campaigns success. Consider possible
natural allies, and get them involved as soon as possible. It is
essential that you have strong, broad coalition and public
support before you go public with your divestment demands.
Coalitions work best when everyone is involved from the
beginning. Invite partner peace and justice groups, religious
communities, professional organizations, student activists, and
anyone else you can think of to join your divestment campaign.
Create a Divestment Petition
Think carefully about the goals of your campaign. Divestment
seeks to pressure Israel to change its policies and abide by
international law. What specifically does that mean? By creating
a petition, you can quickly and clearly communicate your goals
and enlist support. Use the petition to show whatever
organization you are persuading to divest from Israel that you
have support. The ultimate goal of your local campaign will be
to have the organization pass a divestment resolution (see
example in Step 4).
Sample Divestment Petition
The following petition, widely used in the university divestment
movement, is from the University of California. Use this
example to develop your own divestment petition suitable for
you community and your goals.
We, the undersigned, are appalled by the human rights abuses
against Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli government, the
continual military occupation and colonization of Palestinian
territory by Israeli armed forces and settlers, and the forcible eviction
from and demolition of Palestinian homes, towns and cities. We
find the recent attacks on Israeli civilians unacceptable and
abhorrent. But these should not and do not negate the human rights
of the Palestinian people.
Start Your Own Divestment Campaign
DIVESTMENT8
As members of the University of California community, we believe
that our university ought to use its influencepolitical and
financialto encourage the United States government and the
government of Israel to respect the human rights of the Palestinian
people. We therefore call on the US government to make military
aid and arms sales to Israel conditional on immediate initiation
and rapid progress in implementing the conditions listed below. We
also call on the University of California to divest from Israel, and
from US companies that sell arms to Israel, until these conditions
are met:
1. Israel is in compliance with United Nations Resolution 242
which notes the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory
by war, and which calls for withdrawal of Israeli armed forces
from occupied territories.
2. Israel is in compliance with the United Nations Committee
Against Torture 2001 Report which recommends that Israels
use of legal torture be ended.
3. In compliance with the Fourth Geneva Convention (The
occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own
civilian population into territories it occupies; Article 49,
paragraph 6), Israel ceases building new settlements, and vacates
existing settlements, in the Occupied Territories.
4. Israel acknowledges in principle the applicability of United
Nations Resolution 194 with respect to the rights of refugees,
and accepts that refugees should either be allowed to return to
their former lands or else be compensated for their losses, as
agreed by the Palestinians and Israelis in bilateral negotiations.
Organize a Divestment Teach-In
A teach-in is a powerful way to educate and activate members
of your community. By offering qualified speakers of intellectual
and/or experiential expertise, a teach-in provides a way to explore
the issues surrounding divestment and the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict. The best teach-ins are those that give a boost to your
existing organizing efforts while also attracting new people to
your campaign at the same time. A teach-in can also be an
effective way to fundraise for your group.
Preliminary StepsWhat to do before you start to organize
the teach-in
Select a speaker(s).
It is important to have an articulate and knowledgeable speaker,
or a panel of speakers, at your teach-in. Local universities may
have good speakers on the faculty, but dont overlook other
community members. Consider activists who have traveled to
Israel/Palestine and can share first hand experiences. You can
also contact Global Exchanges Speakers Bureau by phone at
(415) 255-7296 ext 244 or by email at speakers@globalexchange.org.
Some important factors to consider when choosing a speaker
are reputation, availability, and cost.
Select a topic.
There is a lot to talk about when it comes to the Palestinian-
Israeli conflict, so you need to narrow your focus. The topic
you select will depend somewhat on the speaker you select. Do
not feel compelled to begin with a chronological history of the
conflict as this alone could easily fill several teach-ins. Consider
a thematic approach instead, such as a comparison between
White South African and Israeli apartheid. Think about tying
your teach-in to a current event that is getting attention in the
media. Whatever topic you choose, the goal should be to
introduce divestment as a reasonable, just, and effective tool to
help bring justice to the Palestinians and peace to all people.
Think about your audience and outreach.
What are you trying to accomplish by bringing the speaker?
Who do you want to attend the event? How will you conduct
outreach? Do you plan on doing media outreach? What about
meetings with local elected officials? Flyers, calendars, direct
mail, email, phone calls, public service announcements, press
releases, and word of mouth are all good ways to get people to
the event. When considering all of these questions it is important
to plan ahead.
DIVESTMENT9
Think about possible cosponsors.
Brainstorm and ask other members of your group for suggestions
of other groups (student, community, religious, etc.) that may
be willing to cosponsor the event with you. Keep in mind that
cosponsors are a key component in generating an audience and
sharing the workload and cost of organizing an event.
Plan the EventThe When, Where, Who, and How
Select a date.
The date of your teach-in obviously depends on other factors,
such as the availability of the speakers, availability of a venue,
and whatever else is being planned in your community around
the same time. Try not to have your teach-in coincide with
other similarly themed teach-ins. Also, it is a good idea to
organize an event around a date that has some significance in
relation to divestment or Palestinian human rights.
Find a venue.
The ideal venue is a free venue. Try to get space donated to
you; churches, community centers, schools, and universities are
likely to do so. Also, choose the size of the space based upon
how many people you expect to attend the teach-in.
Confirm your cosponsors.
There is no such thing as too much group participation or too
much outreach. The point is to get as many people to the event
as possible. Outside help will generate a larger audience. Contact
the organizations you think would be interested in being part
of the event. Explain to them that you are bringing a speaker
for an event that you would like them to cosponsor. When they
say yes, suggest that they help with outreach by inviting their
members. Among other things, they may be able to help
publicize the event by putting it on their web site or adding
their name to a press release. Also, dont be afraid to ask them
for financial support. It costs money to host, transport, and
feed speakers. Explain this to them. This is not too much to ask
if the organizations name is associated with the event as a
cosponsor. In return, offer to include their name on any publicity
materials that are produced.
Be prepared for the opposition.
Unlike in other international human rights and social justice
causes, there is an organized and vocal group in the United
States opposing Palestinian freedom and self-determination.
Opposition mainly stems from a misunderstanding of the nature
of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In the United States, the
Palestinian story under occupation has not been told nor
humanized. Another part of the opposition comes from groups
who oppose applying international norms to Israel as they are
applied to any other state. Be prepared for individuals at your
teach-in that come only to vocally oppose your campaign, and
do your best to engage them in productive dialogue or help
them learn something new.
Hold a Demonstration
Get the attention of your community and rally support for
divestment by organizing a provocative, creative demonstration
calling for divestment from Israels occupation. Refer to the
Organizing a Demonstration section at the end of this guide
for further help.
A shop-in is a particular type of demonstration used in the
divestment movement. It is a non-confrontational
demonstration best used when trying to encourage a local store
to de-shelve Israeli products. Show the store that its customer
base supports a boycott of Israeli products by organizing a special
shopping day at the store. Distribute materials about divestment
outside of the store and give out stickers that say, I support a
boycott for shoppers to wear in the store. Preprint customer
comment cards that shoppers can submit voicing their support
of a boycott. Give shoppers stickers that say, I support a boycott
of Israeli products to place on the back of their receipts. Then,
have them submit these receipts in the customer comment box.
Check out the sample shop-in flyer, customer comment cards,
and stickers in this booklet.
Distribute Educational Materials
In any of the above activities, always have educational materials
available for the public. Make copies of the brochures, flyers,
and stickers at the back of this booklet to distribute. (Note that
the sheet of stickers can be copied onto Avery brand labels,
template 8164, 3-1/3" x 4")
DIVESTMENT10
Step 3Building the Global Movement
Reaching the point where you will have decided on a target for
your divestment campaign, built coalitions with other groups,
educated the public about the Palestinian-Israeli situation, and
empowered activists to join your divestment efforts will be a
huge accomplishment. You will have learned so much from the
process, and you will have much to share with other groups
and grassroots activists in other communities across the country
and around the world.
Connecting with other activists in the U.S. and abroad to share
your experiences will be instrumental in sustaining your efforts
and expanding the divestment movement.
Connect: Join Annual Divestment Conferences
In October 2002, the University of Michigan at Ann
Arbor hosted The Second National Student Conference
on the Palestine Solidarity Movement. For more infor-
mation on the conference, visit the conference web site at
www.divestmentconference.com.
There is a need to also bring together activists/groups who are
working on community-level divestment in cities, pension
funds, labor unions, retail boycotts, and other areas. Holding
annual or regular conferences on divestment will allow you to:
Connect with other groups and organizations with which
you can share experiences.
Get an update on divestment initiatives that you may know
nothing about.
Draw media attention to the conflict, to the human rights
abuses against the Palestinians under occupation, and to
why divestment is a growing movement.
Organize nationally instead of only locally with other
groups, expanding the quantity and quality of support.
Prepare a national agenda based on previous accomplish-
ments and current progress.
Share: Talk About Your Experience
Post information online on your groups web site or create
a web site where visitors can get information and receive
updates on the progress of your campaign.
Hold speaking events in local community centers, churches,
and schools. Organize speaking tours in several cities or
states to talk about your campaign and bring others aboard.
Create an action guide sharing your campaign experiences
and drawing on the lessons you learned in the process.
Explain how you followed this guides steps, highlighting
strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations.
Contact your local media regularly to bring attention to
the campaign.
Step 4Pass a Divestment Resolution
The culmination of your local campaign will be passing a
divestment resolution. During the struggle against South African
apartheid, local resolutions banning investment in the racist
regime were key to eventually bringing down the government.
Divest-from-Israel campaigns that target cities, such as the City
of Seattle divestment campaign, hope to replicate the South
African divestment success story. These campaigns require that
the city council pass a resolution to divest city funds from Israel.
The following guidelines will specifically help you to promote
and pass a divestment resolution in your own town. Although
these guidelines were created with city councils in mind, they
can be modified for use in campaigns focusing on labor union
boards, university boards of trustees, or any other body that
would have to pass a resolution to authorize divestment.
Plan Your Campaign
Determine what kind of resolution you want to pass.
You can use the sample divestment resolution passed by
Wayne State Universitys Student Council as a model
for your campaign. Also review the Do Your Research
Define Your Targets section and the sample petitions to
draft your resolution.
Identify and reach out to supporters. Campaigns work best
when they are anchored by a coalition of groups and
individuals. Who else might be interested in helping to pass
the resolution? What natural allies do you have in the
community? Try to find coalition partners sooner rather
than later. Coalitions work best when everyone is involved
from the beginning.
Determine who will work with you to pass the resolution
and what their roles will be. As with any campaign effort
hosting a teach-in, organizing a demonstration, etc.it is
useful to make sure everyone knows their assigned tasks.
When trying to pass a resolution, you probably want at
least one person responsible for communicating with elected
officials, at least one person responsible for working with
the media, and at least one person responsible for putting
together public education materials. Everyone should work
on spreading the word to the general public.
Plan a timeline for the resolution campaign. Make sure you
know when, and how often, the city council meets and
how long it typically takes for a resolution to be passed.
In bigger cities, it may take months for a resolution to
become law.
DIVESTMENT11
Find a Champion: Someone in Local Government to
Introduce Your Resolution
Identify a member of the city council who you think will
be sympathetic towards the cause of divestment. This is
essential. Without a government official who will actually
take ownership of the issue and make it his or her cause, it
will be difficult to successfully pass a resolution. You can
identify likely champions by investigating officials voting
records and asking your coalition partners if they have any
allies on the city council.
Make contact with your champion. Find people who live
in the officials district or ward and request a meeting with
the representative. Once you arrange a meeting, try to
organize as diverse a group as possible to represent your
divestment coalition. By involving a wide range of coalition
partners in the discussion, you demonstrate that divestment
has community support. At the meeting, make a strong
case for why the resolution is important and why the city
should pass it.
Get your champion to introduce the resolution to the
council for a vote. When you meet with the elected official,
you should present them with the text of the proposed
resolution. This will make the officials job easier, and make
them likelier to support your issue.
Chart the political landscape. When meeting with your
champion, ask them to predict which members of the city
council are likely to support or oppose the resolution.
Knowing your allies and opponents will help you in you
campaign.
Work with City Staff
Get to know the city staffers. In many city halls, especially
those in small towns, the un-elected bureaucrats wield as
much power as the elected representatives. Thats because
the staff are permanent and work full time, whereas the
elected officials come and go and often work only part time.
Its crucial, then, that you get the city staffers on your side.
Ask for meetings with the city manager, the city attorney,
the pension fund manager, the city purchaser, or whoever
else may be affected by the proposed resolution. Explain to
them why the resolution is important. If you gain their
support, you are much closer to winning the campaign.
Educate the Public
Spread the word. Without real public support, passing your
resolution will be difficult. At the same time, one of the
main reasons for working on a local resolution is to educate
the public about the injustice perpetrated by the Israeli
government against the Palestinian people. The resolution
is, in a sense, a vehicle for educating the public. There are
several ways you can do this.
Try to get the media interested. Once your resolution is
introduced and scheduled for a vote, contact the media
and ask them to do a story about the campaign. Resolutions
give local media a way to cover larger issues through a
community angle. Write letters to the editor and op-eds in
support of the resolution. Refer to the Using the Media
section for more tips on media outreach.
Host a public forum about the resolution. It may be a good
idea to hold a teach-in or other educational event to talk to
your fellow residents about the resolution. Organize a film
screening about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Bring an
inspiring speaker into the community to talk about why
the resolution is important. Refer to the Public Education
section for more ideas.
Lobby Other Elected Representatives
Make contact with other officials. Lobbying is just a fancy
word for letting your elected officials know how you feel
about an issue. Communicating with your representatives
is a right, not a privilege. You should make sure all of the
representatives on the city council have a packet of
information about your resolution. Try to get constituents
from different districts to arrange meetings with the
representatives to show support for the resolution.
Expand the base of support. As the date of the vote
approaches, make sure you are working with residents across
the city and asking them to call or write their representatives
in support of the resolution. Constituents throughout your
town should be contacting their representatives on the city
council. There are some ways to coordinate this. Organize
a citywide call-in day during which people from every
neighborhood will call their representatives in support of
the resolution. If a particular representative is opposed to
the resolution, do targeted outreach in that neighborhood.
Cover all the bases. On the day your resolution is going to
be voted on, make sure the city council chambers are filled
with supporters of your resolution. Bring colorful and eye-
catching signs to show support for the resolution. Encourage
supporters to speak in favor of the resolution during the
public comments section, and make sure you have a few
people ready with prepared remarks. The day of the vote is
your final chance to show that the community really does
care about divestment.
For detailed advice on how to persuade your elected officials
see the Global Exchanges Lobbying Toolkit.
Follow Up
Make sure that what the resolution calls for actually happens.
This is crucial when it comes to binding resolutions. Keep in
touch with your champion and city staff to ensure the resolution
is being implemented. If it isnt, make sure all of your supporters,
your champion, and the media hear about it.
DIVESTMENT12
Sample Divestment Resolution
The following divestment resolution was passed by the Student Council at Wayne State University in Michigan on
April 17, 2003. Use the resolution as a model for your own divestment campaign.
WHEREAS, the Student Council of Wayne State University has grave misgivings about financing violent ethnic
cleansing, racially directed against millions of occupied Palestinian civilians, who are both innocent and helpless,
WHEREAS, those millions of Palestinians suffer long-term malnutrition, are surrounded by Israeli army bulldozers,
tanks, soldiers, and by jet bombers, all of which have killed thousands of occupied Palestinians,
WHEREAS, on Sunday, March 16, 2003, an American college student, Rachel Corrie, was killed in plain sight, while
dressed in bright orange, while waving, and while shouting at an Israeli Army bulldozer through a megaphone, by that
same Israeli Army bulldozer, in the Occupied Gaza Strip,
WHEREAS, that Israeli Army bulldozer ran her over twice,
WHEREAS, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu has urged us all to divest from Israel due to its violent and
humiliating apartheid policies,
WHEREAS, Israel was a longtime, close ally of White Apartheid South Africa,
WHEREAS, the Wayne State University Board of Governors (the Board) has knowledge of University investments,
including what governments our University is paying taxes to by means of investment, and has the authority to seek
such information from its fund managers,
THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED, that we ask the Board to immediately divest (dis-invest) our university from
Israel,
THEREFORE IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED, that we ask the Board for a report this semester, on its progress in
divesting the University from its investments in Israel, including divestment from all companies doing business in
Israel, and divestment from all stocks and pension funds which include those companies.
Educational Materials
On the following pages you will find flyers, brochures, and stickers you can use as part of your divestment campaign. In
addition to the items presented here, you can download the following from our website: www.globalexchange.org/
palestine/resources.html
Israel BondsInvesting in Inequality
Shop-in Stickers
Apartheid Wall brochure
Reasons to Oppose U.S. Aid to Israel
2017 Mission Street, # 303 San Francisco, CA 94110 tel 415.255.7296 fax 415.255.7498 www.globalexchange.org
Israel Bonds: A Bad Investment
Why We Should Divest
from Israeli Government Bonds
Like the United States, Israel borrows money from the public by selling government bonds. A buyer purchases
a bond for a fixed period of time during which interest accrues. When the bond matures, the buyer can either
cash it in and receive her interest payments or reinvest in new bonds. Individuals, though, arent the only ones
buying Israel Bonds. There are approximately 9,500 pension funds, 3,500 banks, 1,500 labor unions, and
500 insurance companies in the United States that invest in Israel Bonds. School districts, municipalities,
and other large institutions also purchase them. One of the largest sources of institutional investment capital
in Israel is from U.S. pension funds through the purchase of Israeli government bonds. Here are just a few
reasons why its time to divest from Israel Bonds:
Israel Bonds are a financially poor investment. The major
credit rating services give Israel Bonds the sixth rating,
classifying them as only an upper medium investment.
In contrast, United States government bonds receive the
highest rating. With a low rate of return and a bond
rating lower than what would be accepted in other
foreign government bonds, Israel bonds are a poor
financial choice.
Unlike most securities, Israel Bonds cannot be traded
on the open market or easily converted into cash.
Bond money goes directly into the Israeli treasury. The
money is often used for infrastructure projects, such as
highways, bridges, communications links, water projects,
and port and airport expansion. This money is also used
for the development of illegal settlements in the West
Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
Within Israel, bond money is unfairly distributed.
Infrastructure projects primarily benefit Jewish
communities. Palestinian neighborhoods inside Israel are
isolated and routinely discriminated against at every level.
Israeli law dictates that Jewish-Israelis, who own 93% of
Israeli land, may not sell land to Palestinian-Israelis. In
addition, there is a tremendous disparity in the quality
of public services, such as healthcare, education, and
social services, that Palestinian and Jewish Israelis receive.
Bond money funds Israels apartheid system in both Israel
and the occupied territories.
Israel also uses bond money to resettle new immigrants
from around the world, including the United States.
Many of these immigrants are encouraged to move to
Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza through
economic incentives. At the same time, Israel
bans millions of Palestinian refugees from returning
home. Financially supporting Israels immigration
policy therefore perpetuates the displacement of the
Palestinian people.
Im a Loyal
Shopper
and
I Dont Buy
Israeli
Goods
www.BoycottIsraeliGoods.org
No Israeli
Products!
729
Barcode of
Oppression
729 =
Made in
Israel
729
Barcode of
Oppression
729 =
Made in
Israel
Shop for Social Change
Boycott Israeli Products
Shop for Social Change
Boycott Israeli Products
Copy these stickers onto Avery brand labels, template 8164, 3-1/3" x 4"

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Reasons to Oppose US Aid To Israel
United States diplomats like to say that when it comes to the conflict between Israel and Palestinians the US plays the
role of an honest broker. But the US massive financial and military support for Israel means that, in fact, the US
is taking sides. Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign aid, receiving more than $3 billion annuallyor about $8
million every day. If a level diplomatic playing field is to be created, the US unfair and biased support of Israel must
end. Until the US stops lending its weight to Israel, a truly just peace will remain elusive.
Israel Is Illegally Occupying Palestinian Land
After Israel invaded East Jerusalem, the West Bank and
Gaza in June of 1967, the United Nations Security Council
(including the US) passed Resolution 242, which calls for
withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied
in the recent conflict and emphasizes the inadmissibility of
the acquisition of territory by war.
1
In violation of UNSC
242, Israels army has never left and to this day remains an
illegal and oppressive presence in someone elses land.
Just weeks after the invasion, Israel began demolishing Arab
homes in illegally annexed East Jerusalem. By the end of June
1967, 4000 families had lost their homes and land.
2
This action
should dispel the myth that Israels intentions in 1967 were
strictly defensive. Israel uses the self-defense argument to cover
up the expansion of its territories, to justify human rights abuses
since the occupation began, and to collect massive aid from
the US.
Israel Systematically Violates the Human Rights
of Palestinians
Over three million Palestinians
3
in East Jerusalem, the West
Bank and Gaza live every day of their life under the domination
of a hostile, foreign occupying army. Countless international,
Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizationsand even
the US governmenthave published reports citing Israels
consistent human rights violations as defined by the 4th Geneva
Convention, which Israel itself has signed. This Convention
applies to Palestinian land occupied during time of war.
According to Amnesty International, Israel has committed
grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions . . . and consistently
uses closures, curfews, and demolitions of homes as a form of
collective punishment.
4
The Israeli human rights group BTselem reports that
Israels occupation army has fired at ambulances and prevented
medical treatment to the sick and wounded even leaving some
of them in the field where they bled to death.
5
US aid supports
this kind of brutality.
US Aid to Israel Violates the USs Own Laws
The US Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) and the US Arms
Export Control Act (AECA) strictly forbid the government
from giving military assistance to any country that violates
internationally recognized human rights.
6
The State
Departments 2001 human rights report states:
Israeli security units often used excessive force against
Palestinian demonstrators including live fire impeded the
provision of medical assistance to Palestinian civilians by their
strict enforcement of internal closures, which reportedly
contributed to at least 32 deaths. Israeli security forces harassed
and abused Palestinian pedestrians and drivers who were
attempting to pass through the more than 130 Israeli-controlled
checkpoints
7
Under the AECA, the President is required to report to
Congress promptly upon the receipt of information that a
substantial violation of AECA may have occurred.
8
The US
government is fully aware of the Israeli armys human rights
violations, as the above quote from the State Department shows.
The US government has eroded its own credibility as an
impartial mediator by continuing to arm Israel without
restriction and allowing these weapons to be used against
civilian populations in violation of US law.
2017 Mission Street, # 303 San Francisco, CA 94110 tel 415.255.7296 fax 415.255.7498 www.globalexchange.org
2017 Mission Street, # 303 San Francisco, CA 94110 tel 415.255.7296 fax 415.255.7498 www.globalexchange.org
US Support for Israels Military Threatens US Security and
Global Stability
US funding of Israels human rights abuses fuels resentment
towards the US throughout the world. The US sends massive
military aid to Israel then looks the other way. At the same time,
the US bombs the Iraqi people and embargoes humanitarian
aid in response to the actions of their un-elected dictator. Such
inconsistent policies are hypocritical and provoke anti-US
sentiment, ultimately jeopardizing the safety of people living in
the US. Ending aid to Israel will show the world that the US
truly respects human rights. The US can ensure its own security
by gaining the trust and respect of the international community.
US military aid to Israel also destabilizes the political
climate in other troubled areas of the world. In 2001, Israel
made $2 billion in arms sales to India, including Israeli missile
systems that were developed with US tax dollars.
9
Tensions are
as high as ever between Pakistan and India. Contributing to
an arms race between the two nations will only bring South
Asia closer to war.
Israeli Settlements Are Illegal and Provocative
One of Israels most egregious violations of the 4th Geneva
Convention is the construction of massive settlements in East
Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. The terms of the
Convention couldnt be clearer: The Occupying Power shall
not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into
the territory it occupies.
10
The Israeli government is essentially
colonizing the Occupied Territories.
More than 350,000 illegal settlers have built approximately
150 settlements on confiscated Palestinian land.
11
And the
number is growing. Since 2001, 34 new settlements have been
established.
12
In addition, Jewish-only bypass roads that connect
settlements to each other and to Israel have carved up Palestine
into disconnected islands, making establishment of a viable
Palestinian state impossible. The army and settlers also
confiscate scarce natural resources from the region. Israeli
Jewish settlers are allocated 4.5 times more water, per capita,
for agricultural and personal use, than the occupied
Palestinians themselves, according to Peace Now.
13
Is this self-
defense or expansionism?
US Aid to Israel Does Not Make Israelis Safer
Billions of US taxpayer dollars are delivered to Israel each
year, ostensibly to make Israel secure. With these funds, Israel
has built one of the strongest militaries in the world in order to
maintain an illegal occupation and expand its borders. This
brutal occupation is at the root of the violence against the
occupiers own civilian population. No amount of US aid can
stop this violence. In fact, supporting the collective punishment
and captivity of Palestinians will only lead to more bloodshed
for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Security and peace for Israelis
depends on Israel taking its troops and settlers back into its
own country and out of someone elses land.
Israel Is an Exclusionary State
The Israeli Law of Return allows Jews from all over the
world to immigrate to Israel and gain citizenship, but
indigenous Palestinians who were forced to flee in 1948 and
1967 are excluded from returning to their homes and towns of
origin.
14
Many Palestinian refugees still hold the land deed and
even the key to their homes. Palestinian citizens of Israel, who
make up 20 percent of the population, suffer state-sanctioned
discrimination. The US State Department reports: The
[Israeli] government made little headway in reducing
institutional, legal, and societal discrimination against Israels
Arab citizens, [who] do not share fully the rights provided to,
and obligations imposed on, the countrys Jewish citizens.
15
For example, according to the Nazareth-based Arab
Association for Human Rights, the National Planning and
Building Law (1965) retroactively rezoned the lands on which
many Arab villages sit as nonresidential. ... The authorities
use a combination of house demolitions, land confiscation,
denial of basic services, and restrictions on infrastructure
development to dislodge residents from these villages.
16
Israels official policy of discriminating against non-Jewish
citizens makes the country a kind of Jim Crow democracy,
and not one the US should be supporting.
For more information about Global Exchanges Palestine
Human Rights Campaign call 800-497-1994 or write to
palestine@globalexchange.org. Complete citations and sources
available at www.globalexchange.org/palestine.