Boycot Israel 121

There's much to do between now and the shareholder vote this summer! 1. CREF no longer accepts shareholder resolutions for this year, but everyone is encouraged to sign our open petition. You've signed our petition already (thanks!), now please tell your friends to sign it as well. 2. Start a Veolia campaign in your local community. Dear Stan, Over 200 CREF clients filed individual shareholder resolutions asking the retirement giant to to end investments in companies whose business supports Israel’s occupation. About 50 people stood in a freezing New York morning last week (see right), and another contingent stood in an even colder Chicago morning (see below) to present by hand some of these shareholder resolution to TIAA-CREF's offices. These hundreds of resolutions have opened the door to raise the question officially--not only with TIAA-CREF's management, but also with the company's millions of clients--about divesting from companies making a profit off the suffering of the Palestinian people. In fact, the Palestinian Freedom Riders paved the way with their own bodies, when they engaged in civil disobedience, protesting the operation of segregated buses by companies such as Veolia. They asked a simple question that merits a response: if you knew you were making a profit off the segregationist Montgomery bus company, would you? We know that thousands of CREF clients are ready to answer no. They do not want their own money to be invested to support the theft of Palestinian land, livelihoods, and resources. Why would TIAA-CREF force its clients to benefit from injustice? Sydney Levy on behalf of the WeDivest Coalition