24 April 2013
David Shearer
Leader of the Labour Party,
Member of Parliament for Mount Albert
david.shearer
Dear Mr Shearer,
We are writing to you in the hope of enlisting the support of you and your party in our campaign to persuade the New Zealand Superannuation Fund to divest itself from three Israeli banks (Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi and Mizrahi Tefahot Bank) and an Israeli petrol company (Paz Oil) that operate within Israel’s illegal settlements in the Palestinian West Bank. We also wish to highlight the case for divestment from the United States company Caterpillar, which supplies bulldozers to the Israeli army.
Our organisation wrote to Gavin Walker, Chair of the Superfund’s Board of Guardians on 4 March 2013 urging that public money be divested away from these companies specifically and Israeli companies in general in line with the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign which aims to force Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories.
We have attached that letter and the 14 March reply from Adrian Orr, Chief Executive of the Superfund in which the Mr Orr sets out to rebut the case for divestment from these companies.
Your views on the occupation of the West Bank are no doubt informed by your experience working for the United Nations in Palestine and your role as leader of the Labour Party. Your views will of course be held in very high regard and respected in the media and by the Superfund officials.
Russel Norman was able to play a key role securing the Superfund’s divestment from corporations involved in nuclear weapons and cluster munitions in 2008. It would be our hope that your public stand on this issue would shine a light on the investments and aid the cause of isolating companies which are involved in perpetuating Israeli settlement expansion.
In September 2011 you wrote, ‘New Zealand should support the Palestinians simply because it’s right. It won’t solve the problem, it won’t stop more settlers building on land that’s not theirs, but it’s an important principle.’ We believe that the divestment of the Superfund away from corporations involved in the occupation can help end the expansion of settlements.
Thus our request Mr Shearer is that you write to Adrian Orr calling for divestment from the three Israeli banks, the Israeli petrol company and Caterpillar. We look forward to your reply and the possibility of discussing this further in the near future.
Kind regards,
John Minto
Global Peace and Justice Auckland
GPJA 
In the book ‘Solving 911’ by Christopher Bollyn, the author presents compelling evidence that the attacks of 911 were planned and organised by Mossad as a false flag operation to garner hatred and fear of Muslims, and thereby support for Israel. Zionists occupy so many key positions in the U.S. media, government and finance that it is probably not an exaggeration to conclude that the United States has been internally colonised by Israel. Given that New Zealand, like other vassals, does what it is told by the United States I have little confidence that any New Zealand politician will dare to do what John Minto urges. A first step would be for John to acquaint himself with the facts about 911, as presented by Architects and Engineers for 911 Truth.
The Palestine Human Rights Campaign Aotearoa/New Zealand applauds this GPJA initiative. We feel sure that this will encourage more people to join the growing number of individuals and organisations who are supporting the Palestinian Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.