Why This Campaign?
Israel's consistent and persistent violations of international law and human rights is evidenced by the political, economic and legal discrimination used against the Palestinian people. Additionally, Israel practices extra-judicial and indiscriminate killings of those protesting its policies, as is shown by its assaults on demonstrators at the Apartheid Wall and by the murder of 9 Free Gaza Flotilla participants. These practices echo what the world witnessed during the apartheid era in South Africa.
Israel's violations, coupled with its refusal to comply with the 4th Geneva Convention or with UN Security Council Resolutions (242, 338 and 446) and General Assembly Resolution 194, has left the international human rights community with no choice but to engage in non-violent boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns.
By supporting this campaign, Californians have an opportunity to not only state their commitment to social justice and to international law, but to also require the two largest state retirement funds to comply with their own responsible investment policies. [CalPERS Investment Policy] [CalSTRS Investment Policy].
Divestment from specific companies that profit from Israel's oppression of Palestinians would assure that at least some of Californian's tax dollars are not contributing to the violation of human rights and international law. Although the focus of this campaign is specifically on CalPERS and CalSTRS divestments, these same corporations also supply equipment and services to other regimes guilty of human rights violations.