Following in the footsteps of Israeli political leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s divestment from Iran message, and responding to the highly publicized move by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ move to divest from companies doing business with the Sudanese government, as it relates to the genocide in Darfur, Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors Los Angeles (CJHSLA) is calling for Villaraigosa to follow a similar path with regard to Iran, Syria and other countries which threaten United States security interests.
Following plaudits for the previous move, CJHSLA principle founders forcefully make the case, which is detailed in the letter below, that their recommendations hold more value in terms of alleviating the threat from countries whose avowed goals are to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, destroy Europe through Islamic violence and completely eliminate the United States from the world scene. Of course the genocide in Darfur is a tragic situation which must be addressed, however putting the economic screws to Iran and their satellite Syria would go much further in curing the world’s ills.
Large public pension funds, involving hundreds of billions of dollars, are exerting tremendous pressure in the movement to divest from foreign, publicly traded companies that have economic dealings with U.S. State Department designated terrorist-sponsoring states. In light of the current world situation, such efforts are not only extremely logical but morally brilliant and peaceful, while also serving to protect the retirement savings of millions of American employees and pensioners.
The letter below has been emailed/faxed to the Mayor as well as members of the LA County Board of Supervisors and the LA City Council. CJHSLA strongly urges everyone to become engaged in the process by contacting his or her local elected officials, including Assemblyman Joel Anderson regarding his California Assembly Bill 221.
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March 6, 2007
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: Via mail, fax and email:
200 North Spring Street, Room 303
Fax: (213) 978-0758
Los Angeles, CA 90012 Email: mayor@lacity.org
Honorable Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa:
We commend you and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for taking such a courageous stand on the dire situation in Darfur. To divest from companies that are profiteering from doing business with the Sudanese government in order to protest the ongoing and severe human rights violations and genocide is the strongest message that can be sent that does not involve a single bullet or the loss of a single American life. It is a completely non-violent method to diminish a violent situation. No one in favor of saving innocent life can possibly oppose this type of action.
Accordingly, we Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors Los Angeles urge you to adopt the same position with respect to companies that do business with Iran, Syria and countries that threaten our vital security interests.
According to The Center for Security Policy report, August 12, 2004, Los Angeles financial involvement with terrorist-sponsoring states is at a minimum of just under $50 billion, and is invested as follows:
Los Angeles County Employees’ Retirement (LACER): $20,231,020,000
Los Angeles Fire & Police Pension (LAFPP): $27,054,680,000
Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement (LACER): $2,199.825,000
Your actions with respect to Darfur make it obvious that you are in agreement with us that taxpayers should not fund terrorists. To quote Assemblyman Joel Anderson, sponsor of Assembly Bill 221, “Money is the mother’s milk of terrorism…It is outrageous for...taxpayers’ money to be invested in companies whose business activities benefit a nation that sponsors terrorists who target American citizens.”
At this point in time, the leadership in Iran is facing substantial instability that affords us a narrow window of opportunity to further destabilize this dangerous regime. For the sake of world peace, the West must act strongly and forcefully now. Combine this effort with the current sanctions that have led to Iran’s calling for a summit which the US has agreed to attend, the Iran-Syria divestiture would put teeth into the diplomacy and would strengthen our bargaining position.
As important as the Darfur divestiture is, this divestiture would have even more far-reaching implications. We urge you to please act on behalf of the entire free world and support a divestiture of Iran, Syria and other terror supporting countries.
Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors Los Angeles implores you to act now to preserve freedom
for our children and our country by taking this proactive role in the face of the evil that is facing
us in a non-partisan, non-violent and proven effective approach.
You would be the first mayor of any city in the United States to take such a proactive role. This courageous act would ensure your legacy for our country and the entire free world.
Respectfully submitted,
Doris Wise Montrose, President
Susanne M. Reyto
Nurit Greenger
Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors Los Angeles (CJHSLA)
doris@cjhsla.org
www.cjhsla.org |
