Take Action: Urge CAT's Board of Directors to Support the Foreign Military Sales Resolution

Next Wednesday, June 11, activists from the Chicago metro area will gather outside and inside of the annual Caterpillar shareholder meeting to protest Caterpillar complicity in human rights violations in Israel/Palestine.

Despite years of repeated corporate engagement by investors and organizations such as Jewish Voices for Peace and CAAP (formerly Stop CAT), as well as a host of religious organizations such as Sisters of Loretto and Sisters of Mercy, Caterpillar continues to profit from the illegal occupation of Palestinian land and territory.

Like Motorola, Caterpillar's practices best exemplify the interest of U.S. corporations putting profit first and human rights last. These corporations continue to disregard human rights concerns and refuse to investigate the countless number of allegations brought forward.

Caterpillar equipment and bulldozers are used as military weapons by Israel. They are destructive weapons specially fitted with armaments such as machine guns, grenade launchers and much more.

These destructive machines have unlawfully demolished thousands of homes, killed innocent civilians, including U.S. citizen Rachel Corrie, built illegal settlements, uprooted thousand-year old olive trees, torn up roads, and devastated basic infrastructure in many Palestinian villages.

Caterpillar must ensure that international law not is violated with its products. For example, Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention deems the "extensive destruction and appropriation of property carried out unlawfully and wantonly" to be a war crime.

In addition, it is possible that the sale of Caterpillar equipment to the Israeli army violates the U.S. Arms Export Control Act and U.S. Foreign Assistance Act. Caterpillar profits from Israel's human rights violations of Palestinians by selling bulldozers to the Israeli army through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. To learn more, check out our fact sheet and links to other helpful resources.

We ask for activists all around the country to send Caterpillar a strong message. Take action now by sending Caterpillar's board of directors a letter asking them to take steps to address our concerns and build support for the shareholder's resolution that aims to hold Caterpillar accountable.

We must not let Caterpillar profit from human rights violations at the expense of the Palestinian people and their land.

PS We are selling an excellent report detailing the court case Corrie et al. v. Caterpillar. Click here to purchase.

--US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation