United Methodists are responding to Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth ,a statement of faith and urgent call to action from Christians in Palestine. UMKR seeks, through nonviolent means and in partnership with Palestinian Christians, freedom, justice and equality for all Palestinians and Israelis.
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On this page are denominations, organizations, student associations, and other bodies who have stated their support for economic actions to end the Israeli occupation or have taken the action of boycotting Israeli settlements products or divesting from companies supporting and profiting from the Israeli occupation. This list is organized by:
• Churches and Christian Organizations
• Interfaith & Other Religious Organizations
• Israeli Organizations
• Jewish Organizations
• Governmental Bodies
• Student Bodies and Associations
• Trade Unions and Professional Organizations
• Businesses and Institutions Severing Ties with the Israeli Occupation
Please note: The lists within these categories are not comprehensive and we welcome information for additions:info@kairosresponse.org.
There are hundreds of other groups worldwide supporting and taking actions to end the Israeli occupation, too numerous to list here.
See the Palestinian National BDS Committee for the latest updates on BDS victories: www.bdsmovement.org
See the list at US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) which has details about BDS victories in the United States in churches, on campuses, in government, and much more:
Divestment Resources
Churches and Christian Organizations
PALESTINE
The Heads and Patriarchs of Churches in Jerusalem
Thousands of Palestinian Christians, signatories of "Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth"
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center Christian Peacemaker Teams, Palestine
Joint Advocacy Committee of East Jerusalem YMCA
AROUND THE WORLD
The United Methodist Church
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The United Church of Christ
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Episcopal Church
The Alliance of Baptists
Mennonite Church (USA)
American Friends Service Committee (Quakers)
Friends Fiduciary Corporation (Quakers)
Methodist Federation for Social Action
National Executive Council of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship
National Coalition of American Nuns
Conference of Major Superiors of Men (Roman Catholic Church)
US Dominican Palestine Coordinating Committee (Roman Catholic Church)
Lake Erie Yearly Meeting - Quakers spanning 3 states: Ohio, Michigan and Western Pennsylvania
The United Church of Canada
Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)
The Methodist Church of Britain
The Church of England
Quakers of Great Britain
The Church of Ireland
The Church of Sweden
World Council of Churches Central Committee
Australian Council of Churches
Malaysian Council of Churches
South African Council of Churches
Christian Aid (UK and Ireland)
Quaker Council for European Affairs
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi Netherlands
Pax Christi Germany
Norwegian Church Aid
Diakonia (Sweden)
FinnChurchAid (Finland)
ICCO: Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation
CORDAID: Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid (Netherlands)
Interfaith & Other Religious Organizations
Unitarian Universalist Association
Fellowship of Reconciliation USA
Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace
Interdenominational Advocates for Peace
Islamic Leadership Council of New York
Jewish Organizations
ISRAEL
Boycott from Within
Coalition of Women for Peace
Gush Shalom
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions [ICAHD]
Israeli Committee for Right of Residency
Kayan
Machsom Watch
Mossawa
New Profile
Peace Now
Ta'ayush
Tarabut-Hithabrut
Women Against Violence
Yesh Gvul
Zochrot
NORTH AMERICA
Adalah-NY (US)
American Jews for a Just Peace (US)
Americans for Peace Now (US)
Breaking the Law of Return (US)
Committee for Open Discussion of Zionism (US)
ICAHD-USA
Jewish Voice for Peace (US)
Jews Against the Occupation (US)
Jews Say No! (US)
New Israel Fund (US)
Partners for Progressive Israel (Meretz USA)
Independent Jewish Voices (Canada)
Jews Against Zionism (Canada)
Not in Our Name (Canada)
Tikkun (US)
Women in Solidarity with Palestine (Canada)
EUROPE
European Jews for a Just Peace (members in 10 countries)
Jews for Justice for Palestinians (UK)
Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods (UK)
Jews for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (Sweden)
A Different Jewish Voice (Netherlands)
Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Near East (Austria)
Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Near East (Germany)
Jewish Voice for a Just Peace between Israel and Palestine (Switzerland)
Union of Progressive Jews (Belgium)
French Jewish Union for Peace (France)
Rete-ECO: Italian Network of Jews against the Occupation (Italy)
AUSTRALIA
Jews Against the Occupation (Australia)
The Australian Jewish Democratic Society
SOUTH AMERICA
Not in Our Name (Argentina)
INTERNATIONAL
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
Governmental Bodies
A very partial list of regional, national and multinational governmental bodies that have stated their support for BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) or have taken a specific action as described.
• Buenos Aires Provincial Government, Argentina: suspended water treatment plant deal with Mekorot, Israeli state water firm.
European Union
• The EU has banned all loans or grants by member nations that will benefit Israeli settlements
• The European Commission has banned poultry and dairy products from settlements.
* The European Parliament elected not to renew contract with G4S.
• At least 17 EU nations have issued warnings to citizens against doing business with or investing in Israeli settlements. Those nations are: Austria, Belgium, United Kingdom, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The statements warn businesses about the economic, legal and reputational risks of economic ties with illegal Israeli settlements and state that firms should be aware of the “possible abuses of the rights of individuals” such transactions may contribute to.
Norway: suspended military relations with Israel.
The Netherlands: the government intervened to stop engineering firm Royal HaskoningDHV from becoming involved in a settlement infrastructure project.
Romania, The Government of
Scottish Councils (regions): Clackmannanshire, Midlothian, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire
Trieste, Italy
Turkey suspended military relations with Israel.
United Kingdom
• The UK has warned businesses to consider "possible abuses of the rights of individuals" involved in doing business with the illegal Israeli settlements.
• Six Councils (regions) in the UK have excluded the corporation Veolia from local procurement contracts due to its complicity with Israeli violations of international law. Those councils are: London, Swansea, Edinburgh, Portsmouth, Richmond and West Midlands
United States
• The Human Rights Commission of the City of Portland, Oregon has recommended that the city’s Socially Responsible Investments Committee (SRIC) place four multinational corporations — Caterpillar, G4S, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions — on its Do-Not-Buy list.
Student Bodies & Associations
Campuses where student associations that have adopted BDS-related resolutions or where student bodies have endorsed BDS in campus referendums.
For schools that have taken actions to cut ties with the occupation, see "Academic Institutions" at the beginning of the list "Businesses and Institutions Severing Ties with the Israeli Occupation."
Arizona State University (U.S.) - Undergraduate Student Government
Brown University (U.S.) - Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies
Carlton University (Canada) - Graduate Students Association
DePaul University, Illinois (U.S.) - Campus referendum
Dundee University (Scotland) - Student Association
Earlham College (U.S.) - Student Senate
Evergreen State College, Washington (U.S.) - campus referendum
Fédération Des Etudiants Francophones (Belgium) - Federation of 100,000 students
London School of Economics (United Kingdom) - Student Union
Loyola University Chicago (U.S.) - Student Government
National Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (U.S.)
National Union of Students (United Kingdom)
National University of Galway (Ireland) - campus referendum
Northwestern University (U.S.) - Student Government
Oberlin College (U.S.) - Student Senate
Oglethorpe University (U.S.) - Student Government
Princeton University (U.S.) - Graduate students referendum
Rutgers University-Newark (U.S.) - Student Governing Association
San Jose State University (U.S.) - Student Body
Stanford University (U.S.) - Student Senate
Sussex University (United Kingdom) - campus referendum
Sydney University (Australia) - Student Representative Council
Toledo University (U.S.) - Student Government
University of California (U.S.): the Student Associations of:
(1) UC Santa Cruz, (2) UCLA, (3) UC Irvine, (4) UC Merced, (5) UC San Diego, (6) UC Riverside and
(7) UC Berkeley
University of Chicago (U.S.) - College Council
University of Illinois at Chicago (U.S.) - Undergraduate Student Government Assembly
University of Indianapolis (U.S.) - Student Senate
University of Kent Student Union (United Kingdom)
University of Massachusetts, Boston (U.S.) - Undergraduate Student Government
University of Michigan at Dearborn (U.S.) - Student Government
University of New Mexico (U.S.) - Graduate Students
University of Regina (Canada) - Student Union
University of South Florida (U.S.) - Student Government
University of Toronto (Canada) - Graduate Student Union
University of Wisconsin at Madison (U.S.) - Graduate Student Union
University of Witwatersrand (South Africa) - Student Council
Vassar College (U.S.) - Student Association
Wayne State University (U.S.) - Student Council
York Federation of Students, York University (Canada) - largest student union in Canada
Trade Unions & Professional Organizations
5 major trade unions in Galicia region of Spain
Abvakabo (Netherlands) trade union with 350,000 members
Alliance of Basque Trade Unions: CCOO, LAB, UGT, ESK, STEE, HIRU, EHNE, CGT, USO LSB-USA
Australian Services Union
Australian labor unions: the Electrical Trades Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, the Queensland brach of the Rail Tram and Bus Union and the Finance Sector Union, the Australian Education Union, and the Construction Forestry, Mining and Electricity Union.
New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory branches
British Trade Union Congress
British Fire Brigades Union
Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Canadian Union of Public Employees
Catalan Workers’ Union, known as Intersindical Alternativa de Catallunya (Spain)
Central Unica do Trabalhadores (CUT) - Brazil's largest trade union
Centrale Generale (Belgium) - large trade union federation
Chamber of Agricultural Engineers of Turkey
Cochin Port Labour Union (India)
Cochin Thuramugha Thozhilalai Union (India)
College and University Workers United (Canada)
Congress of South African Trade Unions - 1.8 million workers
Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (Australia)
Council of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Fagforbundet (Norway) Municipal and General Employees - Norway's largest trade union
FIOM-CGIL - Italian industrial union, over 350,000 members
Food and Allied Workers Union (South Africa)
Industri Energi (Norway)
Irish Congress of Trade Unions
ITUC-Africa - Africa's largest trade union federation
Maritime Union of Australia
National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education, UK - Britain's
largest faculty association
National Federation of Teachers of Quebec
National Union of Teachers - Europe's largest teachers' union
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions - 19 unions
Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance
Norwegian Federation of Trade Unions - 22 national unions
Norwegian Electrician and IT Workers Union
Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions
Public Services International - one of the largest international trade unions
Scottish Trade Union Congress
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union
South Coast Labour Council (Australia)
Swedish Trade Union Confederation - 14 unions with 1.47 million members
Transport and General Workers Union (United Kingdom)
Turkish Dockworkers Union (Liman‐Is)
UK Trade Union Congress - group of 58 unions with over 6.5 million members
UNISON (United Kingdom) - major British public services union
University and College Union (United Kingdom)
Water Transport Workers Federation of India
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (multinational) - members in over 130 countries
Businesses and Institutions
ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS
Technical University of Denmark - ended scientific collaboration projects with an Israeli settlement.
University of Bergen (Norway) - withdrew from contract with G4S
University of Oslo (Norway) - withdrew from contract with G4S
University of Sheffield (United Kingdom) - withdrew from contract with VeoliaAbacus (Spain) - chain of retail toy stores; removed Israeli games from shelves.
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Aldi, Hoogvlit and Jambo (Netherlands) - three major supermarket chains; announced will not sell products from the Israeli settlements.
AP7 (Sweden) national pension fund; excluded Hewlett-Packard, Elbit, and Cemex from investments due to their involvement in the Israeli occupation.
ASN Bank (Netherlands) - major Dutch bank for socially responsible investing; announced it would end its relationship with Veolia Transport and all companies that benefit from the Israeli occupation.
Assa Abloy (Sweden) - one of the world's largest lock manufacturers; moved factory from the
West Bank.
Barkan Wineries (Israel) - moved operations from the West Bank.
BlackRock Inc. (U.S.; multinational) - global investment firm managing over $3.5 trillion in assets; divested from Africa-Israel, Israeli investment firm that supports building of settlements.
COOP Italia (Italy) - largest supermarket chain in Italy; suspended sale of products from Agrexco, primary exporter of produce from Israel and Israeli settlements.
Co-operative Group (United Kingdom) - 4,000 stores :supermarkets, convenience stores and financial services; eliminated goods from all Israeli companies that market products from the settlements.
DaitoCrea (Japan) - products distributor; withdrew from distribution of products from Ahava, an Israeli firm located in an Israeli settlement.
Deutsche Bahn (Germany) - national railway company of Germany; withdrew from A1 train project in West Bank, due to concerns raised by German government over "a potential violation of
international law."
Deutsche Bank (Germany; multinational) - global financial services company with total assets over $2.5 trillion and 100,000 employees in over 70 countries; excluded Elbit Systems from its investments, because of the Deutsche Bank's commitment to the UN Global Compact codes
of conduct.
Danske Bank (Denmark) - largest financial group of Denmark; eliminated investments in
Africa Israel Investments Ltd, Danya Cebus, and Bank Hapoalim due to their involvement in settlement construction.
EPAL: Empresa Portuguesa das Águas Livres, SA (Portugal) - water utility serving Lisbon and surrounding municipalities; terminated their relationship with Mekorot, Israeli state water company.
FDC (Luxembourg) - state pension fund; excluded nine major Israeli banks and firms and one
US company due to involvement in Israeli settlements and human rights violations in the
occupied territories.
FreedomCall (United Kingdom) - telecommunications firm; terminated cooperation with Israeli company MobileMax due to Operation Cast Lead against Gaza in December 2008 - January 2009.
Gates Foundation (U.S.) - largest private foundation in the world; divested from G4S after worldwide campaign for that action.
Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts (U.S.) - divested from Israeli occupation: Caterpillar, United Technologies, General Electric, ITT Corporation, Motorola, and Terex
Harrod's (United Kingdom) - iconic British department store; removed products from Ahava, an Israeli cosmetics company operating in a West Bank settlement and illegally deplenishing natural resources.
Hashmira (Israel) - second largest security company in Israel, subsidiary of G4S; stopped providing equipment for checkpoints and Ofer prison in the West Bank.
Heineken Breweries (Netherlands) - moved subsidiary from the West Bank.
ISS (Denmark; multinational) - cleaning, security and facilities management services in over
75 countries; sold security company providing services to the settlements, in part due to
moral considerations.
Intercosma (Israel) - cosmetics company; moved factory and distribution center from the West Bank.
John Lewis (United Kingdom) - major department store chain; removed products from Ahava, Israeli company operating in West Bank settlement.
KPA (Sweden) - pension fund for over 1 million government workers; published investment exclusion list with several Israeli banks and telecommunications firms, Elbit (Israeli weapons manufacturer), and Alstom, (a French corporation involved in building a light rail system in the West Bank).
Marks & Spencer (United Kingdom; multinational) - retailer of clothing, home products, food with over 300 stores globally; will not sell settlements products.
Morrison's (United Kingdom) - Britain's fourth largest grocer; will not stock settlements produce.
Nordea (Sweden; multinational) - largest financial services group in the Nordic and Baltic regions, in 19 countries; divested from Cemex due to company's extraction of non-renewable natural resources from occupied territory.
Nordiconad (Italy) - major supermarket chain; suspends sale of products from Agrexco, primary exporter of produce from Israel and Israeli settlements.
Norwegian State Pension Fund - divested from Shikun & Binue (Israel's largest real estate firm) and Elbit due to involvement with Israeli settlements, human rights abuses and violations of
international law.
Pashmina (United Kingdom) - retail chain; begins boycott of Israel after Operation Cast Lead
against Gaza.
PGGM (Netherlands) - largest pension fund in the Netherlands; excluded five Israeli banks from its investment portfolio due to financing of Israeli settlements.
Royal HaskoningDHV (Netherlands) - engineering firm; withdrew from sewage treatment project in occupied East Jerusalem
Scottish Universities: Glasgow University, Strathclyde University, Caledonian University, University of Edinburgh, and Dundee University - dropped their contracts with Eden Springs (also known as Mayanot Eden, or Mei Eden), an Israeli company that bottles and markets water from occupied territory.
Selfridges (United Kingdom) - major department store; removed products from Ahava, Israeli company operating in West Bank settlement.
SuperValu (Ireland) - largest food distributor in Ireland; withdrew Israeli products from its stores.
Tesco (United Kingdom) - UK's largest supermarket chain; stopped sales of all products from the
West Bank.
TIAA-CREF (U.S.) - Fortune 100 financial services organization; during long shareholder campaign, divested from SodaStream, and removed Veolia and Caterpillar from its Social Choice Funds portfolio.
Triodos Bank (Netherlands; multinational) - sustainable banking and investments; excludes investments in companies that contribute to the continuation of occupation, such as Veolia, Alstom, Motorola, and Caterpillar.
Unilever (based in UK and Netherlands; multinational) - one of the world's largest consumer goods companies; moved their factory from the West Bank.
U2U (Belgium) - hi-tech company specializing in development consulting; refused to work with Israeli companies because of "Israel's war crimes and apartheid regime."
Vitens (Netherlands) - large water utility; ended a contract with Israel’s national water company Mekorot, days after it was signed, due to their involvement in violations of international law.
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Global Support for Economic Actions (BDS: Divestment,
Boycott and Sanctions) to End the Israeli Occupation
From the Christians of Palestine, in the Kairos Palestine Document:
“Palestinian civil organizations, as well as international organizations, NGOs and certain religious institutions call on individuals, companies and states to engage in divestment and in an economic and commercial boycott of everything produced by the occupation. We understand this to integrate the logic of peaceful resistance. These advocacy campaigns must be carried out with courage, openly sincerely proclaiming that their object is not revenge but rather to put an end to the existing evil, liberating both the perpetrators and the victims of injustice. The aim is to free both peoples from extremist positions of the different Israeli governments, bringing both to justice and reconciliation.”
Learn more about the 2009 landmark document from Palestinian Christians:
Kairo Palestine: A Moment of Truth
In 2005, 170 organizations in Palestinian civil society called for nonviolent actions - including divestment and boycott - to help end the Israeli occupation. In 2009, Holy Land Christians echoed that call (see above). Hundreds of bodies around the world have responded with support. Following is a partial list of organizations, businesses and institutions who support or have taken economic actions focused on companies involved in the Israeli occupation. These actions do not challenge the existence of the State of Israel; they are addressing the continued occupation of Palestinian land.