NZ Superfund office occupied: call to divest from Israel

UPDATE: Protesters have been arrested after pressuring NZ Super Fund to stop investing millions in companies which are profiting off Israel’s military campaign.

Stop Superfunding Israeli Apartheid

Police guard the NZ Superfund building in Auckland as more than 100 pro-Palestinian protestors gather. – Source: ONE News

In light of the murder of nearly 2000 captive Palestinians in Gaza, activist group People Against Israeli Apartheid are currently occupying the NZ Superfund office to oppose the investment of New Zealanders tax money into companies which profit off Israel’s violence against Palestinians.
12.00pm onwards Friday 15 August
NZ Superfund office, Level 12 , 21 Queen Street, Auckland
“We’ve witnessed the bombing of schools, hospitals and shelters in a bloody Israeli incursion into Gaza, the third of its type in less than six years. The only way for this kind of human suffering to continue, is for good people to stand by and do nothing while our taxes fund this bloodshed,” says PAIA Spokeswoman Nadia Abu-Shanab.
“We are occupying the NZ Superfund office today to send a clear message; we demand our tax dollars are immediately withdrawn from companies which arm Israel and help maintain it’s brutal regime of occupation and siege.
“Companies such as Israel Chemicals Ltd, which produces white phosphorous, a chemical that’s use in war was banned by UN Convention because of its extremely harmful effects on civilians. White phosphorous was used by the Israeli military in Gaza in 2008/2009 in densely populated areas, causing extreme human suffering and loss of life among men, women and children.
“In 2012, Superfund divested from a number of companies which profit off Israel’s war crimes, such as Elbit Systems, a drone manufacturer.

“Today, however, NZ Superfund continues to invest in companies* which supply Israel with the means to attack civilians, and in companies which profit from the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These investments are an affront to international law and the principles of human rights.
“NZ Superfund has taken an ethical stance on not investing with companies tied to nuclear weaponry and whaling. We want to see this same compassion afforded to Palestinians. As taxpayers we do not want to see our money invested in the suffering and murder of other human beings.”

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• G4S: a British-Danish private security company that provides services and equipment to Israeli prisons, checkpoints, the Apartheid Wall and the Israeli police. ($542,755)
• United Technologies: produces Blackhawk helicopters used to attack cities, refugee camps and villages. ($7,290,126 invested)
• Boeing: sells Israel F-15A fighter jets and Apache AH 64 helicopters used in attacks on Gaza. ($6,579,342)
• General Dynamics: manufactures diesel engines used in Israel’s Merkava battle tanks and produces bombs for Israel. ($1,967,381)
• Raytheon: produces bombs used in attacking Gaza. ($1,797,902)
• Caterpillar: produces militarised bulldozers used to destroy Palestinian homes.(4,710,251)
• Israel Chemicals: produces white phosphorus. ($327,668)
• Hewlett-Packard Co: produces technologies for the Israeli military and profits from business in illegal settlements ($4,434,988)

UPDATE:

NZ Super Fund protesters arrested
Six protesters have been arrested after calling for New Zealand’s retirement fund to stop investing millions into companies that create weapons used by Israel.
The People Against Israeli Apartheid protesters occupied the NZ Super Fund’s Auckland office on Friday demanding the fund withdraw its investment in companies profiting from Israel’s military campaign against Palestine.
Five women and a man occupied the office for over two hours, forcing it to close, before they were arrested for trespassing, police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty told NZ Newswire.
Another 100 supporters were gathered outside, protest spokeswoman Nadia Abu-Shanab said.
NZ Super Fund invests money for future national superannuation payments – but around $27 million has been poured into companies that help Israel, Ms Abu-Shanab said.
This included companies that produce bombs, fighter jets, military bulldozers, white phosphorus and Blackhawk helicopters, she said.
“As taxpayers we do not want to see our money invested in the suffering and murder of other human beings.”
A lot of Kiwis would be surprised to know what their money was helping support, she said.
Ms Abu-Shanab said the group had talked to chief executive Adrian Orr, who had listened to their concerns and told them the fund would review the investments.
The fund has already taken ethical stances on not investing with companies tied to nuclear weaponry and whaling, and she hoped they’d make a similar stand in this case.
“It’s not actually a huge, radical ask,” she said.
But Mr Orr said the fund had reviewed its $900,000 passive investment in Israel Chemicals, which produces white phosphorus, and found there was no evidence it had been used against civilians in the recent Gaza conflict.
He said the fund took its lead from conventions the New Zealand government signed and had previously excluded companies that made cluster munitions and land mines.
The fund drew a distinction between companies being directly and materially involved in an activity versus being a supplier of materials or services, he said.

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