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Action Alert: Protest Caterpillar use to demolish Palestinian homes

From www.BoycottIsraeliGoods.org June Campaign

Please act during this month to write and publicize the use of Caterpillar equipment funded by our tax dollars to demolish Palestinian homes and uproot their trees and thus to continue an ethnic cleansing
process that started over 54 years ago.

Talking Points:

- With 2001 sales/revenues of $20.45 billion, Caterpillar is the world's largest maker of construction and mining equipment. A significant
portion of these sales occur in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

- Caterpillar's Claims of Social Responsibility: "As a global company, we use our strength and resources to improve the lives of our neighbors around the world." "Caterpillar's reputation for integrity is a
fundamental part of our heritage and one of our most valuable assets. Integrity encompasses all that defines and sustains us as a company -
the values we believe in, the high ethical standards we live by, our honesty and behavior in dealing with others, and our commitment to deliver on the promises we make to customers, shareholders, and each other. In great measure, we at Caterpillar have achieved our worldwide leadership position by upholding our reputation for integrity. No document Caterpillar has published is more important than our Code of Worldwide Business Conduct. "

http://www.cat.com/about_cat/social_responsibility/social_responsibility.html

- Despite these lofty words, Caterpillar provides Israeli forces with armored bulldozers and others tools, paid for by American taxpayers, to
destroy Palestinian homes and uproot trees (see
http://www.counterpunch.org/gordon0602.html and
http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=81&CategoryId=4 for detail)

- According to the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions thousands of Palestinian homes have been demolished in the occupied areas since
1967 and the pace of demolitions accelerated after Israel signed the Oslo accords in 1993. The latest were eight homes yesterday in occupied
East Jerusalem (picture attached).

- Demolition of Palestinian homes constitutes a gross violation of basic human rights and contravenes major international human rights
conventions including the 4th Geneva Convention and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

- International covenants on war crimes and the newly established International Court of Justice are authorized to punish any who knowingly support acts that constitute war crimes. Demolition civilian
homes and rendering thousands homeless (mostly women and children) during times of conflict comprises grave war crimes.

ACTIONS REQUESTED:

1) Picket and protest at Caterpillar Locations making sure the manager hears you and transmitts this info to the national office. Locations
info:

http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/north_america.html

http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/africa.html

http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/asia_pacific.html

http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/europe.html

http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/latin_america.html

For Rental locations, call 1-800-RENT CAT (U.S. and Canada) or visit:

http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/company_information.html

2) Write to Caterpillar Management (sample letter below) demanding ceasing sales to Israel until home demolitions and other destructive actions (uprooting trees) ceases and asking Caterpillar instead to donate equipment for rebuilding. Write to:

Glen Barton Caterpillar Chairman and CEO c/o Benjamin Cordani
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Caterpillar Inc. 100 N.E. Adams St. Peoria,
Illinois 61629 (309) 675-1000

For Investor Info and to see if you want to take action through this
avenue visit
http://www.cat.com/about_cat/investor_information/15_contact_us/contact_
us.html

3) Start a media campaign to publicize these issues. Good resources for
this are:

http://al-awda.org/media/begin.html
http://www.pmwatch.org/pmw/main.html

4) Spread the word, join us and tell us what you have done. Send copies
of your messages to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

5) To join the actions of this group, see
http://BoycottIsraeliGoods.org


The Campaign to Boycott Israeli Goods and Services
http://BoycottIsraeliGoods.org email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it