Let CAT Know What You Think
Grassroots International joins our ally Jewish Voice for Peace in calling on Caterpillar to respect human rights and end its business with the Israeli government. Please sign onto the petition and forward it to friends and family by June 9th. Jewish Voice for Peace will deliver the signatures at Caterpillar’s annual shareholder meeting next week!
Here is the message that I received from Jewish Voice for Peace this morning:
“See if you can explain this… I can’t.
In reference to Caterpillar’s sales of bulldozers used to destroy Palestinian homes, orchards and olive groves, the company wrote a letter to the United Methodist Church last year. In the letter, CAT stated that it expects its customers to use its equipment in ways ‘consistent with human rights and the requirements of international humanitarian law.’ Good news, right?
And yet CAT’s own Israeli dealership acknowledged this year that it has ‘worked very closely’ with the Israeli army during the attack on Gaza and has further announced an unprecedented agreement, which allows the Israeli army to draft Caterpillar civilian employees. You have to wonder how CAT is communicating its expectations to its own dealers, let alone the Israeli government.”