CHICAGO—The Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS)-Chicago, a project of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)-Chicago, and the Anti-War Committee (AWC)-Chicago recently held a news conference and demonstration downtown.
According to a Sept. 21 news release, organizers demanded that “the Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI) and Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs divest from genocide.
And hold them accountable for postponing ISBI’s quarterly meeting originally scheduled for September 19th.” Supporters are also demanding that Mr. Frerichs divest from Israel Bonds and from companies that do business with Israel.
“ISBI members have the duty to invest our taxpayer dollars responsibly,” said Jae Franklin, AWC-Chicago co-chair, in a news release. “Investing in Israel is in direct opposition to this, as the apartheid state is carrying out a genocide and failing economically, reliant on U.S. investment to stay afloat.
Taxpayer dollars are being sent to companies that bulldoze homes in the Gaza Strip, drop devastating bombs on refugee campsites, and supply weapons to the Israeli military, which has already killed 65,000 Palestinians in less than two years.
How can anyone claim these are safe and moral investments? It is our duty as residents in Illinois to confront those who control our tax dollars and demand permanent, immediate divestment from Israel!” Franklin added.—The Final Call