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Divestment from Iran
From the President
TE Bulletin, April 2008
The importance of protesting injustice has a long history in Jewish tradition. The prophet Nathan confronted King David for having arranged the death of his lover Bathsheba’s husband. Esther spoke up for the Jews of Persia when it appeared that no one else would do so. The Talmud teaches that a person who doesn’t oppose wrongdoers is effectively responsible for their actions, and will eventually be their victim.
As Jews, we’re well aware that wrongdoers are well-represented in the modern world just as they were in antiquity. As supporters of Israel, we see the many external threats facing our brothers and sisters in that country. One of the most serious comes from Iran, which supports terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hizbollah and, even worse, is widely believed to be developing nuclear-weapons capabilities. If Iran succeeds, its president’s stated desire to wipe Israel off the map won’t seem merely crazy. It will be quite real.
Of course we must leave the geopolitics to our representatives in Washington. We can’t arrange for bilateral talks, impose sanctions, or do any of the things governments do. But there is something each of us can do. It’s not a public protest, but rather a personal boycott. The Union for Reform Judaism recently distributed a sample divestment letter to each of its nearly 900 member congregations. The letter would be sent by an individual to his/her investment manager or advisor. Its opening sentence: “I would like to inform you that I have recently decided to divest my personal holdings from companies which do significant business ($20 million or more) in the Iranian oil sector.”
As many of you know, such divestments can be complicated, especially in a financial world so dominated by mutual funds. Fortunately, the letter provides a way to simplify the situation. It includes a list of 18 multinational corporations that have been determined by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs to meet the above criterion. Not only is 18 a relatively small number, allowing for straightforward research by your investment manager, but 18 is obviously a highly significant number for us. It’s chai, or life, and what better goal is there for Israel than life and peace and security?
Click here for a copy of this letter for you to review and download. If you prefer, the Temple will be happy to email it to you in Word format for easier editing and customizing. Call the Temple office at 292-7899 or email Laura Bonasia at LBonasia@tegreensboro.org to arrange that. Temple Emanuel has sent this letter to its investment advisors. I hope you’ll do the same on a personal level, so that together we can make a small but important statement on behalf of Israel.
B’shalom—Andrew Brod
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