JVP's Letter of Support with Hampshire College

Jewish Voice for Peace issued the letter below in support of Hampshire College student initiatives to divest from the Israeli occupation. On behalf of Jewish Voice for Peace, we congratulate Hampshire College on its decision to divest from companies that profit from the Israeli Occupation. At JVP, we fully support efforts to divest from companies that profit from Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. This includes American companies like Caterpillar who profit from the wholesale destruction of Palestinian homes and orchards. We are not advocating divestment from Israel. We absolutely reject the accusation that general divestment or boycott campaigns are inherently anti-Semitic. The Israeli government is a government like any other, and condemning human rights abuse as many of its own citizens do quite vigorously, is in no way the same as attacking the Jewish people. Further, it is crucial not only to criticize the immoral and illegal acts of the Israeli and U.S. government, but to back up that criticism with action. When governments engage in oppressive policies, pressure from outside is required to bring about positive change. Putting economic pressure on U.S. companies has been and will be a successful grassroots organizing strategy that brings that pressure to bear. As the movement to divest from Israel's occupation grows, we hope that the Israeli government will decide that there is nothing to be gained from sustaining the oppression of four million Palestinians, who live without equal protection under the law. We hope that this movement makes clear also to American representatives in government that American citizens will no longer fund the oppression of Palestinians, and by extension the destruction of Israeli civil society, through our taxes. Jewish Voice for Peace is a diverse and democratic community of activists inspired by Jewish tradition to work together for peace, social justice, and human rights. Our 75,000 members call for an end to the Israeli occupation and support the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians for security and self-determination.