The Israeli peace organization Gush Shalom reports that it has obtained information that the bulldozers used in the widespread demolition of Palestinian homes in the Palestinian territories come from Caterpillar Corporation, based in Peoria, Illinois.
Gush Shalom is asking for protest e-mails to go to Caterpillar, asking it to condemn the illegal use of bulldozers it supplied.
Following is their sample e-mail message.
ATTN: Benjamin Cordani, media representative for social responsibility, Caterpillar Corporation (cordani_benjamin_s@cat.com)
Dear Mr Benjamin Cordani:
As Caterpillar’s media representative for social responsibility, I ask your attention to the following: The whole world was shocked a few days ago by the Israeli army’s massive house demolition campaign in the Rafah Refugee Camp in the occupied Gaza Strip, robbing 700 Palestinians, young and old, men, women and children of all they had.
This action was not the first time that theIsraeli army destroys the homes of occupied Palestinians. Such acts are a manifest violation of the Geneva Conventions.
It is important that a company such as Caterpillar would publicly condemn this illegal use of its products. It would, of course, make sense to go a bit further and have such a condemnation imply a stop on further sales of bulldozers and the immediate refusal to supply spare parts to the customer who made the abusive use of the Caterpillar product.
I hope that you agree that it is in the interest of Caterpillar to take this initiative issue.
(Gush Shalom asks that a copy of the message be sent to them at: otherisr@actcom.co.il).
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