U.S. Groups to Obama—Stop Delivery of Bulldozers to Israel
For immediate release
General contact: Josh Hough, Communications Director, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, 202-332-0994, media@endtheoccupation.org
Specific organizational contacts below.
Washington, DC (October 28, 2010)—Responding to reports in the Israeli media earlier this week that Caterpillar is delaying the delivery of tens of D9 bulldozers—valued at $50 million—to the Israeli military, U.S. organizations called today on the Obama Administration to stop all deliveries of bulldozers to the Israeli military due to human rights concerns.
The organizations—the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.), and Jewish Voice for Peace—have all been involved in a multi-year campaign to hold Israel, Caterpillar, and the United States accountable for the Israeli military’s utilization of Caterpillar equipment to commit human rights abuses against Palestinians, including the injuring and killing of civilians; the destruction of homes, infrastructure, and agriculture; and the building of illegal settlements and Israel’s illegal wall in the West Bank.
The full text of the organizations’ open letter to the Obama Administration can be found by clicking here.
Quotes from and contact information for the organizations follow.
Cindy Corrie, Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, info@rachelcorriefoundation.org, (360)754-3998
“The Rachel Corrie Foundation views with grave concern the use of the weaponized Caterpillar D9 bulldozer in the Occupied Territories, not only for how it was used to crush Rachel Corrie, but for its continued use in human rights violations against so many Palestinian families. This sanction must be maintained until all these violations are investigated and realistic mechanisms are in place to ensure they are not repeated. To do otherwise is to continue, as U.S. citizens, our own complicity in these crimes.”
Josh Ruebner, National Advocacy Director, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, congress@endtheoccupation.org, (202)332-0994
“Caterpillar’s apparent decision to delay delivery of D9 bulldozers to the Israeli military represents an important milestone in the campaign to holdIsrael, Caterpillar, and the United States accountable for the human rights abuses Israel commits with these weapons, which are paid for by U.S.taxpayers in the form of military aid to Israel. The Obama Administration should make sure that Israel receives no deliveries of these weapons at least until it investigates Israel’s prior human rights abuses committed with CAT bulldozers, including the killing of U.S. citizen Rachel Corrie.”
Rev. Dr. Jeffrey DeYoe, Advocacy Chair, Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.)
info@theIPMN.org
"The Israel Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been calling attention to the mayhem and destruction brought upon Palestinian life and property by CAT D-9 bulldozers since 2004. We call upon our Church, the entire ecumenical/interfaith community, as well as the administration of President Barack Obama to now recognize Caterpillar, Inc.'s decision to delay delivery of a $50M order of these bulldozers to the Israel Defense Force as acknowledgement of the arguments by the global community that use of this weapon in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is in violation of international law and morally wrong. This decision by CAT also negates previous arguments by the company that it has no control over its dealers and the products they sell throughout the world.”
Sydney Levy, Director of Campaigns, Jewish Voice for Peace, sydney@jewishvoiceforpeace.org, 415-994-4854
“We are pleased that the U.S. government appears to recognize that Caterpillar bulldozers are used to violate U.S. and international law. Caterpillar should not be allowed to profit from Israel's human rights abuses.”