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Authors, sign in!Following the historic precedent of Seattle’s divestment from companies doing business in apartheid South Africa (Seattle Resolution No. 27220, adopted December 17, 1984), an organization named “Seattle Divest from War and Occupation” has sponsored “Initiative No. 97,” which, if adopted, would force the Seattle Employees’ Retirement System funds to divest from corporations that fund war and occupation in the Middle East.
More specifically, this initiative would set policies and guidelines that would ensure that the city’s retirement funds not be invested in corporations (1) that profit directly from the U.S. presence in Iraq, or (2) that do business in or with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, or the Golan Heights. The City must also withdraw retirement funds invested with the Israeli government if Israel attacks Iran without U.N. authorization.
After submitting the proposed initiative to the City, and after the Seattle City Attorney’s office drafted the ballot title, the Office of the City Clerk approved the final petition form on April 1, 2008. Under the law, the initiative’s sponsors were given 180 days to collect 17,968 valid signatures, with the 180 days starting to run on that date. By mid-May, close to 1500 voters of the City of Seattle had already signed the initiative petitions.
Nearly a month after the initiative title was approved, on April 28, 2008, three opponents of the Initiative – including the Washington Israel Business Council and the Israel Emergency Alliance, the latter a California-based non-profit also known as "Stand With Us," – filed a lawsuit challenging various aspects of the initiative. As a result of that lawsuit, the ballot title was changed slightly by the court, so that it now reads:
If enacted, Measure 97 restricts how the City of Seattle invests retirement funds. It prohibits investment in corporations that profit directly from the U.S. presence in Iraq. It also prohibits investment in corporations that do business in or with certain Israeli settlements or in disputed territories. The City must also withdraw retirement funds invested with the Israeli government if Israel attacks Iran without U.N. authorization.
Obviously, this initiative will not, by itself, alter U.S. foreign policy. In fact, it is not even clear if this initiative would be legally enforceable to change the City of Seattle’s retirement funds investment decisions.
However, should the initiative obtain enough signatures to get on the ballot, that will be an important signal nationwide of the widespread discontent in at least one community about the role the U.S. is currently playing in the Middle East. Should the initiative both get on the ballot and be enacted into law by the voters of Seattle, that will be an even stronger signal to the political leaders of both major parties that the people of this country will not indefinitely, and without dissent, permit their government to fight wars and assist oppression in their name.
For more information, go to http://www.divestfromwar.org/.
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Comments (2)
You are teaching us many new things! I'm inspired to do some investigating into our own municipality! Thanks to you!
Posted by Lola Wheeler
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May 27, 2008 10:35 PM
Posted on May 27, 2008 22:35
Scott from Divest from War campaign--thanks for an excellent article! One addition--not only will this initiative lead to divestment from corporations in the Occupied Territories--it would also force divestment from "corporations that provide direct material support for activities of the Israeli government" in the Occupied Territories. We specifically name 2 companies to divest from--Halliburton (in Iraq), and Caterpillar, whose armored bulldozers are used to illegally demolish Palestinian homes, and also to build the illegal Wall that is mostly being build within the occupied West Bank.
You can help our effort by donating--possible on line at our web site. And we ACTIVELY encourage other locations to take up this effort.
Posted by Antiwar Scott
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May 28, 2008 12:08 AM
Posted on May 28, 2008 00:08