ABP Finances Zionist Fascism

Dear friends across the Netherlands,

In 24 hours, a critical step towards peace in Israel / Palestine could be taken right here in the Netherlands, if enough of us take action now. ABP Directors could decide to withdraw investments from three Israeli banks that finance the biggest obstacle to peace -  illegal settlements in Palestine. Join the urgent call on the ABP board to respect the law, stop investing in these banks, and take a step for peace.

Tomorrow, a critical step towards peace in Israel / Palestine could be taken right here in the Netherlands, if enough of us take action now.
Foreign Minister Timmermans says that the biggest obstacle to a peaceful solution is the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Yet Dutch pension money is invested in Israeli banks that perpetuate this occupation! After massive public pressure Directors of ABP pension fund are meeting to discuss whether to withdraw tens of millions of Euros of Dutch pension money from these banks. PGGM/PFZW has already pulled out. If ABP acts now it will send a clear signal that the Netherlands will no longer finance banks that fuel conflict, other companies will follow - and the whole war dynamic could change.

We have just 24 hours to act! We already have ABP’s attention - more than 1.7 million Avaaz members - over 40,000 in the Netherlands - have already called on them to divest, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu has lent his support. But ABP claims that they still don’t know what Dutch pension fund holders want them to do. Let’s create an urgent mega call for peace from the Netherlands directly to the ABP Board before they meet! Click to send an urgent message now, and share with everyone you know:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/abp_sam_nl/?bAuKMbb&v=44279

485 children have died in Gaza, in 50 days of bloodshed. Ceasefires have been implemented - and broken. The path to long term peace between Israel and Palestine seems to be completely blocked, but this action by Avaazers in the Netherlands could actually change the calculations of those fueling the conflict! ABP is the third largest pension fund in the world and if they divest now it could have a ripple effect across the globe, showing the hawks that the public will no longer stand for investments that finance the illegal occupation.

ABP says it is a responsible company, committed to a ‘virtuous circle of business’.  But the 68 million Euros of Dutch pension money they invest in these Israeli banks feeds divisions and violence in the region. This is just wrong!

ABP co-Chair Cees de Veer says he has already received thousand of e-mails and Facebook messages from around the world. Initially, ABP were deleting Avaazers Facebook messages. Now they are feeling the pressure and he’s questioning whether our call represents Dutch society. We have 24 hours to show him, and the board, that Dutch people do not want their retirement savings fueling conflict.  

Let’s overwhelm the ABP board with thousands of messages from Dutch citizens and pension holders. If enough of us act now, we can push ABP to do the right thing. Send an urgent message now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/abp_sam_nl/?bAuKMbb&v=44279

Along with ABP, Avaaz is also asking Barclay’s Bank, security company G4S, Caterpillar and other companies to pull out of investments in the illegal and destabilising Israeli settlements.

Our community has worked to bring peace, hope, and change to some of the world’s toughest conflicts.  The current violence in Gaza is a consequence of ongoing instability such as the occupation of the West Bank and other Palestinian territories.  The time has come to take action in our own countries that sends a clear message - we will not invest in conflicts and injustice, we want to end the horror for Israelis and Palestinians

With hope,
Alice, Jo, Ricken, Rewan, Allison, Fadi, Alex, Nick, Richard and the rest of the Avaaz team.
MORE INFORMATION:
Restoring the reputation of the pension sector will require patience (fd pro) (in Dutch)
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fpensioenpro.fd.nl%2Fnieuws%2Farticle2327480.ece&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFNfQADhzdI85gRUpqjidOQVkwZhA

My plea to the people of Israel: Liberate yourselves by liberating Palestine (Haaretz)
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.610687

Strong response to ABP's investments in Israeli banks (ABP)
http://www.abp.nl/en/about-abp/press-service/much-response-to-abps-investments-in-israeli-banks.asp

Largest Dutch pension fund boycotts Israeli banks over settlement ties (Haaretz)
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.567548

17 EU countries warn against doing business with Israeli settlements (Middle East Monitor)
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/europe/12554-17-eu-countries-warn-against-doing-business-with...

ABP agrees to meet with campaign group over Israeli bank holdings (Investment Pensions Europe)
http://www.ipe.com/abp-agrees-to-meet-with-campaign-group-over-israeli-bank-holdings/10002737.fullarticle