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Le désinvestissement-sanction s’étend y compris de la part d’investisseurs US (ndlr)

U.S. pension fund giant confirms divestment from Israel firm

By Ora Coren, TheMarker - Lundi,14 septembre 2009 - 6h32 AM

Monday 14 September 2009

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The U.S. pension fund giant, TIAA-CREF, confirmed in statements to the media on Friday that it divested from Africa Israel Investments, owned by Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev, earlier this year.

The statements came in response to a letter initiated by a
pro-Palestinian group, Adalah-NY, and signed by TIAA-CREF clients.

The fund’s investment in Africa Israel amounted to only $257,000, so
the financial effect of the divestment is minimal. The news of the
divestment came as the Israeli firm was suffering a deep financial
crisis, having recently announced that is unable to meet its
liabilities to its bondholders.

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Adalah NY noted in its press release that “Despite the recent
divestment from Africa-Israel, the new June 30th TIAA-CREF report
indicates that the fund continues to invest clients’ money in a number
of companies supporting Israeli settlement activity including Israel
Discount Bank, Cellcom Israel, Bezeq Israeli Telecommunications Corp,
Bank Leumi, and Motorola, among others.”

Earlier this month the Norwegian government announced it was pulling all of its investments from Elbit Systems, which manufactures the monitoring system installed on several parts of the West Bank
separation fence.

Norwegian Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen said that the decision was based on the recommendation of her ministry’s council. “We do not wish to fund companies that so directly contribute to violations of
international humanitarian law,” Halvorsen was quoted as saying, explaining that the separation barrier impinged on the freedom of movement of West Bank residents.