We sent this letter to all the Rushmoor Councillors as there is approximately £335 million of their pension fund invested in companies that help Israel commit war crimes and build illegal settlements including Lockheed Martin, Barclays, HSBC, Google and more. You can find the complete list here by selecting Hampshire Pension Fund from the dropdown list.
If you would like to write to your local councillor you can find their email address here. Below our letter is an edited template for you to send. Make sure you sign with your postcode so they know you are local.
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Dear Councillor,
We, North Hampshire Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, are deeply concerned that Rushmoor Borough Council and Hampshire Pension Fund (administered by Hampshire County Council) hold investments in companies that fund and/or supply arms to Israel.
Hampshire Pension Fund alone is understood to have over £335 million held in complicit investments. You can find the details of the companies here.
By investing in and using the financial services of such companies, Rushmoor Borough Council and your pension fund are facilitating the provision of weapons and technology for Israel’s attacks on, and deaths of, innocent Palestinian people.
Israel unilaterally resuming its bombardment of Gaza, Israel has broken yet another ceasefire agreement which was being adhered to by Hamas. After agreeing to terms that included discussions on withdrawal, Israel reversed its position, attempting to change the deal to avoid removing its army from Gaza. This deliberate shift collapsed the truce and led to renewed, intensified attacks, inflicting catastrophic harm on a population already enduring unimaginable suffering. This continued assault, including the mass killing of civilians, could not occur without the flow of weapons, military technology, and financial backing that sustains it.
As we write Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinian people, 70% of them are women and children. Over 17,500 children have been killed by Israel. What is happening in Gaza right now is mass starvation of an entire population breaching international law, with the denial of life saving aid and the killing of medical staff and destruction of facilities. In the West Bank, Israel is actively invading and ethnically cleansing by forcibly removing innocent civilians from their homes and taking hostage innocent civilians at random- all in direct violation of international law. Arrest warrants have already been issued for Israel’s Prime Minister and Defence Secretary by the International Criminal Court.
These horrific acts cannot happen without financial backing and that is where you can help bring an end to the ability of Israel to inflict such pain and suffering.
We ask that you, like other councils around the country (Bristol, Manchester, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, Dudley, Sandwell, North Somerset, Oxford and others), review your investment policy with a view to moving away from companies funding and supplying Israel’s military which is blatantly breaking international law, as well as companies involved in activities in illegally occupied territories as defined by UN Resolutions.
We urge you to demand divestment by your local council and your pension fund managers to end your complicity in war crimes and to help stop the ending of innocent lives. Surely you do not wish for your pension income to be funded by the death and destruction of defenceless people.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Desmond Tutu- South African Anglican archbishop best known for his opposition to apartheid in South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize winner 1984.
Signed,
North Hampshire Palestine Solidarity Campaign
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Template
Dear Councillor,
RE: Hampshire Pension Fund Investments
I am deeply concerned that Rushmoor Borough Council and Hampshire Pension Fund (administered by Hampshire County Council) hold investments in companies that fund and/or supply arms to Israel. Hampshire Pension Fund alone is understood to have over £335 million held in complicit investments.
You can find the details of the companies here.
By investing in and using the financial services of such companies, the Council and your pension fund are facilitating the provision of weapons and technology for Israel’s attacks on, and deaths of, innocent Palestinian people.
As we write Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinian people, 70% of them are women and children. Over 17,500 children have been killed by Israel. What is happening in Gaza right now is mass starvation of an entire population breaching international law, with the denial of life saving aid and the killing of medical staff and destruction of facilities. In the West Bank, Israel is actively invading and ethnically cleansing by forcibly removing innocent civilians from their homes and taking hostage innocent civilians at random. This is all illegal under international law and international arrest warrants are already in place for the Israeli Prime Minister and his Defence Secretary.
These horrific acts cannot happen without financial backing and that is where you can help bring an end to the ability of Israel to inflict such pain and suffering.
We ask that you, like other councils around the country (Bristol, Manchester, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, Dudley, Sandwell, North Somerset, Oxford and others) review your investment policy with a view to moving away from companies supplying Israel with weapons used in violations of international law, as well as companies involved in activities in illegally occupied territories as defined by UN Resolutions.
We urge you to call for such divestment by your local council and your pension fund managers to end your complicity in illegal activity. Surely you do not want your pension income to be funded by war crimes and the killing of innocent lives.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Desmond Tutu
Signed,
<Your Name>
<Your Postcode>
northhampshirepsc.com 