Church of England votes to shed Caterpillar stock
LONDON — The Church of England’s general synod, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, has voted to disinvest church funds from companies profiting from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, the UK Guardian reports.
The main target of the plan will be the U.S. firm Caterpillar, which has supplied vehicles used by Israel to demolish Palestinian homes. The church invests about £2.5 million in Caterpillar, the paper reported, and had been negotiating with the company about its activities. Caterpillar reportedly said it has not provided the equipment directly to Israel but to the U.S. military, which then provided them to Israel.
During its meeting, which began on Feb. 6, the general synod, the church’s parliament, heard denunciations of Israel’s use of the equipment from one of its own bishops and from the Anglican bishop of Jerusalem, who is Palestinian, the paper reported.
posted February 21, 2006
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