University of Pennsylvania Petition for Divestment from Arms Corporations that do Business with Israel and Other Human Rights Violators

We, the undersigned are appalled by the human rights abuses against Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli government, the continual military occupation and colonization of Palestinian territory by Israeli armed forces and settlers, and the forcible eviction from and demolition of Palestinian homes, towns and cities;

We are horrified by attacks against Israeli civilians, and we, like many in the Israeli peace movement, are convinced that only the end of the Israeli occupation and establishment of a geographically and economically viable Palestinian state can bring peace to the Middle East;

We note that the University of Pennsylvania has significant investments in arms manufacturers that sell arms to Israel for use in the Occupied Territories, in violation of US and International Law;

We believe that these investments compromise the values and mission of the University of Pennsylvania;

Therefore, as members of the University of Pennsylvania community we call on the University to divest from all companies whose business promotes the Israeli occupation, especially firms that sell arms to Israel and firms based in illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, until the following conditions are met:

1. Israel complies with United Nations Resolution 242, which notes the
inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war, and which calls for
the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from the Occupied Territories;

2. Israel complies with the United Nations Committee Against Torture 2001
Report, which recommends that Israel's torture of people in custody be
ended, and renounces its practice of assassinating Palestinian leaders and
suspected militants;

3. Israel complies with the Fourth Geneva Convention ("The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into
territories it occupies;" Article 49, paragraph 6), ceases to build new
settlements, and vacates existing settlements in the Occupied Territories;

4. Israel accepts and begins to implement United Nations Resolution 194 with respect to the rights of refugees, and accepts that refugees should either
be allowed to return to their former lands or else be compensated for their
losses, as agreed by the Palestinians and Israelis in bilateral negotiations.

We furthermore believe that the University of Pennsylvania should divest from arms manufacturers that do business with any nation that has been shown to violate human rights, including Egypt, Turkey, Colombia, or any other. This petition focuses on Israel because it is the largest recipient of US military aid, as well as one of the largest manufacturers of military software and weapons, in the world.

We do not ask the University to take a political stance in favor of one "side" or the other, in this or any other conflict that entails human rights violations, but rather to ensure that the values of the University community are not compromised by the corporations represented in Penn's investment portfolio.