Write To Your Councillor – Divest From Genocide

[Your Name]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Email]

Ref: Divest Croydon Pension Scheme from the Arms Trade

Dear Councillor [Your Councillors Name]

As a local resident of [Your Ward] I am deeply distressed to learn that at a time when our public services are being cut, libraries being closed, and council tax being raised, that Croydon Council has seen fit to lend Israel half a million pounds, through the purchase of Israel government Bonds, to help finance its genocide in Gaza.

Shockingly the council has also invested over £120 million through its Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) fund in arms companies and those complicit in genocide and occupation of Palestine.

Council managed funds are invested in nearly 30 arms producers, these include:

Elbit Systems (£93,886) – Israel’s largest private arms company, it has played a central role in the genocide in Gaza. It produces 85% of Israel’s killer drone fleet responsible for the targeted slaughter of children in Gaza.

BAE Systems (£504,647) – UK’s biggest arms manufacturer, produces 15% of the F-35 stealth fighter aircraft that has been used in bombing hospitals and schools in Gaza and Yemen.

Lockheed Martin (£1,206,590) – World’s largest arms manufacturer. Produces F-16, F-35 fighter aircraft, used in war crimes around the world including Gaza and Yemen.

Airbus (£948,319) – Its Typhoon fighter jets have been implicated in Saudi war crimes in Yemen

Boeing (£1,381,522) – World’s 2nd largest arms company. Its Apache attack helicopters are being used by Israel to commit genocide in Gaza.

Raytheon (£1,780,425) – Produces bombs and missiles that have been documented by Human Rights Watch as being used by Saudi Arabia in Yemen against civilian structures including food warehouses leading to famine.

Northrop Grumman (£765,364) – Produces nuclear missile systems and stealth bombers, has strong partnerships with the Saudi military.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has been asked to investigate senior arms company executives from BAE Systems, Airbus and Raytheon for responsibility for aiding and abetting Saudi war crimes in Yemen.

Why is Croydon council investing in death and suffering?

We are better than that. I urge you to take action to ensure council managed funds, including LGPS funds are divested from the arms trade and from companies complicit in genocide, apartheid and occupation of Palestine.

In January last year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world court, handed down an interim ruling affirming there is plausible evidence Israel is committing genocidal acts against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. As a State Party to the Genocide Convention, the UK has a binding obligation to employ all means reasonably available to prevent and deter further genocidal acts.

Last July, the ICJ issued an advisory opinion ruling that Israel’s military occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful and must end, and that Israel is in breach of the international prohibition of the crime of apartheid. The court affirmed that all states are under an obligation not to render aid or assistance to this unlawful situation.

Stemming from these obligations, councils must avoid procuring from or investing in companies that facilitate Israel’s breaches of international law. Many councils have already committed to end their financial ties with companies complicit in Israel’s breaches of international law, and I hope that you will join them.

Ethical Investment

I am pleased to see that the Council has already divested from Tobacco companies, but we need to do more. We in Croydon need investment in our own services to alleviate local suffering. Last year Croydon council only built 17 council homes, and the year before that only 12. The housing charity Shelter revealed that there are 5,700 homeless people in Croydon. We desperately need more affordable housing, why not invest in that?

Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire LGPS have invested £100 million in a fund from M&G aimed at financing affordable homes. Legal & General also have an affordable housing fund for LGPS’s to invest in.

There are several ethical funds that avoid investing in companies that make their money from creating or selling weapons (Nest Ethical Fund for example). There is no excuse for Croydon council to continue investing in death and suffering.

I look forward to hearing from you about actions you have taken.

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]