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May 14, 2009
The Council on Ethics
Norwegian Government Pension Fund
Government of Norway
Dear Members of the Council on Ethics,
We, Israeli organizations, comprised of Jewish and Palestinian women and men and dedicated to building a just peace and to promoting human rights and equal civil rights in Israel/Palestine,
Call upon the Norwegian people to join us in our efforts and to stop investing in the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.
It has come to our attention that the Norwegian governmental Pension Fund, as of December 31st 2008, is heavily invested in corporations whose activities continuously support and maintain the Israeli occupation, in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. These companies, both Israeli and international, build illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory or provide vital services to them; provide specifically designed equipment for the surveillance and repression of Palestinian population through restrictions of movement and collective punishments; or take part in the illegal exploitation of Palestinian nonrenewable natural resources for the needs of the Israeli market.
We see the Norwegian Pension Fund’s investments in these corporations as contradicting the Norwegian government’s commitment to international law, the Norwegian people’s long standing commitment to peace, justice and democracy in our region, and the Pension Fund’s own ethical guidelines. We therefore urge the Council on Ethics to remove from the fund’s investment portfolio all corporations that support and maintain the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory.
Thank you,
The Coalition of Women for Peace http://www.coalitionofwomen.org
Al- Tufula Center http://www.altufula.org
Bat Tzafon for Peace and Equality
Children of Abraham http://groups.google.com/group/bnei-avraham?hl=en
Hacampus Lo Shotek
Hithabrut - Tarabut http://www.tarabut.info
Humans without Borders – Assisting Medical Accessibility http://humanitywithoutborders.ning.com
Israel Social TV http://www.tv.social.org.il
MachsomWatch – Women against the Occupation and for Human Rights http://www.machsomwatch.org
Mossawa Center, the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel http://www.mossawacenter.org
New Profile http://www.newprofile.org
Ta’ayush, Jewish Arab Partnership
The Alternative Information Center http://www.alternativenews.org
The Israeli Committee for Residency Rights (ICRR)
The Israeli Committee against House Demolitions http://www.icahd.org
Women against Violence http://www.wavo.org
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Israel Section
Yesh Gvul http://www.yeshgvul.org
Zochrot http://www.nakbainhebrew.org
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On the involvement of the Norwegian Pension Fund in the occupation read the report by Who Profits: http://www.whoprofits.org/Newsletter.php?nlid=41
"Who Profits from the Occupation?" is a project of the Coalition of Women for Peace.
The articles represent the opinions of their writers,
and not necessarily those of the Coalition.
http://coalitionofwomen.org/home/english/articles/norway-fund
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