In April 2020 the Palestine Solidarity Campaign defeated the UK government in the Supreme Court, overturning guidance that advised LGPS funds against taking ethical investment decisions that contravened UK government foreign policy, restricting the ability of funds to remove investments from companies complicit in Israel’s violations of international law and Palestinian human rights.
Israel can only maintain its grave breaches of international law and Palestinian human rights because of products, equipment and services it receives from a range of companies and financial institutions. These companies either supply the Israeli military, provide technology and equipment for Israel’s infrastructure of military occupation, or are active in illegal Israeli settlements, based on stolen Palestinian land.
LGPS funds invest in two ways. Directly by holding shares in specific companies, and indirectly through investment funds, which holds shares on their behalf.
Find your local government pension scheme using the PSC button below which will take you to PSC website. Once on the PSC website, use the dropdown window to search for your council to see what investments it has in companies that are involved in the grave breaches of international law carried out by the Israeli government towards the Palestinians.
If your council is complicit – write and tell them so and demand they stop investing in illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories which is against International Law. Most of these councils have ethical investment policies. Inform them they need to stick to them or they could be found complicit of aiding and abetting war crimes, tried, indicted and punished as a principal offender.
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law. Many companies and councils are now divesting including AXA, Puma and Orange.
Below is a template letter plus a list of all local councils and email addresses for the councilors.