For Immediate Release

Contact Aref Assaf 973-960-2673 aref@ameircanarabforum.org

Ask NJ Legislature to divest from Israel.

Paterson, June 21, 2005: The NJ Legislature is about to vote on resolution AR3482 to divest State's pensions from the African nation of Sudan over its involvement in genocidal atrocities. The American Arab Forum, AAF,  commends the state legislature for taking this moral stand.  But unfortunately Sudan is not the only nation that engages in vast violations of human rights, other nation’s include US allies such as Uzbekistan and Israel. The Forum calls for a similar resolution to penalize Israel for its  persistent  violations  of United Nations Resolutions, systematic disregard for human rights, murder of over 15 thousand Palestinians, destruction of thousands of homes.

We believe that the State ought to employ the same moral yardstick when judging the behavior and determining the appropriate punishment for abusers of human rights. Alarmingly, Israel is a favored recipient of billions from NJ's public and private institutions, funds that are invested in American companies doing business in Israel and which directly aid in the negation of the political and human rights of the  Palestinian people.

We strongly believe that NJ should demand that Israel first fulfill certain conditions or risk being the target of economic divestment. Failing to act accordingly will lead to legitimate questions about our Legislature’s double standards and hypocrisy. "Selective morality is not justice and it conveys wrong messages about our true intentions and core values ",  said  Aref Assaf, President of AAF. Mr. Assaf added that " we have witnessed the power of worldwide economic pressure in the collapse of the South African apartheid regime, a crowning achievement in which New Jersey played a major role. We now need to follow the same strategy, and we could see the end of the Israeli occupation in our lifetime. Americans will be safer, Israelis will be safer and Palestinians will be safer. "

We call upon our State Legislature, especially Assemblyman Donald Payne,  and Sen. Thomas H. Kean Jr., R-Union, the bill's Primary Sponsors to consider the plight of the Palestinian people and Israel's direct responsibility in their suffering.

• Additional information:

The State of New Jersey will become amongst the first in the Union to pass  a resolution demanding divestment of state's funds from companies doing business in Sudan. According to an article in the June 19, 2005 of the  Daily Record, "in response to accusations of genocide, torture and rape sanctioned by the government of Sudan, New Jersey lawmakers are trying to force the state pension systems to sell more than $1 billion in investments in companies doing business in the African nation." Read Tom Moran's column in the Star Ledger. Read summary of Assembly Resolution AR3482. Identical Senate bill is numbered S2145.

We call upon our State Legislature, especially Assemblyman Donald Payne, the bill's Primary Sponsor to employ the same moral yardstick when applying moral decisions to where and how our State's funds, funds that belong to the citizens of the state. We believe that we send out the wrong message when selectively punished certain countries or companies and at the same time  ignore and actually  help other equally horrendous regimes. We also wish to bring to the attention of the Legislature a pending resolution, AR166, that demands state funds be invested in Israel. The bill's Primary Sponsor is Assemblyman McKeon from West Orange. We have previously written to and engaged Assemblyman McKeon on this bill.  We also note AR129, sponsored by Assemblyman Paul Sarlo, which calls for funds be invested in Israel Bonds, which directly finance the military occupation.   Other relevant bills are contained here.

• Assembly members who have signed onto AR3482:

A3482 Prohibits investment of certain public funds in foreign companies doing business in Sudan. *
Budget and Appropriations

Payne, William D.   as Primary Sponsor
Stanley, Craig A.   as Primary Sponsor
McKeon, John F.   as Primary Sponsor
Cohen, Neil M.   as Primary Sponsor
Hackett, Mims   as Co-Sponsor
Steele, Alfred E.   as Co-Sponsor
Azzolina, Joseph   as Co-Sponsor
Carroll, Michael Patrick   as Co-Sponsor
Gordon, Robert M.   as Co-Sponsor
Watson Coleman, Bonnie   as Co-Sponsor
Weinberg, Loretta   as Co-Sponsor
Johnson, Gordon M.   as Co-Sponsor
Chivukula, Upendra J.   as Co-Sponsor
Conaway, Herb   as Co-Sponsor
Conners, Jack   as Co-Sponsor


Senate members who have singed onto S2145

Kean, Thomas H.   as Primary Sponsor
Gill, Nia H.   as Primary Sponsor
Buono, Barbara   as Co-Sponsor