[UPDATED]
posterOn the ballots in Seattle is a tricky little bill called Initiative 97 by a group called “Seattle Divest from War and Occupation.” The initiative calls for Seattle to divest and would impose guidelines on how the city invests employee retirement funds, mandating that funds cannot be invested in companies “profiting” directly from our occupation of Iraq — and here is the rub — Israel’s “occupation” of Palestinian territory.

According to Robert Jacobs, Northwest Regional Director of StandWithUs:

With respect to I-97, it’s an initiative that proposes to divest from companies investing in Iraq – but MOST of the initiative would use the City of Seattle and Seattle City Light’s retirees’ pension funds to make an anti-Israel political statement. I-97, the “Divest from War” initiative, would have Seattle divest from companies selling products to the Israeli government. Companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, PACCAR, even Coke. Neither the title of the initiative nor the pitch from the signature gatherers tell you this.

Seattle is not a town known for hard-core pro Israel activity, but this initiative might just change that. It is not just the chance that this thing will pass that has Jews in Seattle worried, it is that it further erodes support for Israel in the city that ran My Name is Rachel Corrie for over a month to great reviews and crowds.

And as if proof was still needed that this was an anti-Israel effort – Cindy Sheehan has endorsed them! Read more from JT News and StandWithUs, let your friends and cousins in Seattle know about it, and keep an eye out for a copy-cat effort in a city near you.

About the author

Rabbi Yonah

8 Comments

  • So the plan in Seattle is to boycott Boeing, a company with huge ties to Washington state, pure genius…….

  • Well, look on the bright side. At the end of the day, Cindy Sheehan, Rabbi Yo, this Jacobs guy– you’ll all vote for Barack. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb etc. etc.

  • If this gets on the ballot, then there also should be a ballot measure requiring that no country that trades with Sudan can have its cargo unloaded in the port of Seattle, and the longshoremen’s unions would have to respect it. That should kill all trade with Bill Clinton’s beloved Red China. Why hasn’t Sheehan spoken out first against the crimes in Darfur, and throughout the Arab world and called for divestment across America against these regimes? What human garbage are these Jew-hating leftists!

  • Let’s see how fast this “idea” spreads around the country. No, there won’t be any similar measurements taken against any Middle-Eastern countries, Russia or China (including it’s newest province, Sudan). We either need their oil or owe them too much money.

  • Why not take measures? They need the port of Seattle as much as we need their oil and T-Bills. I am not advocating any specific course of action, but say 200,000 Jews and Christian Zionists felt they must, according to their inner morals, sit in at the port of Seattle, and get arrested in non-violent Ghandian style, until Seattle longshoremens unions agreed not to unload any cargo from countries that traded with Sudan, with Malaysia for their persecution of the Hindu Tamils, and the Buddhists, with Indonesia, for it’s persecution of Christians, and China, for its occupation of Tibet and persecution of the Muslim Wega people, etc. Oh and Khaddafis war crimes in Chad and Lockerbie, lets throw in Libya. The stink would be sky high and small town America would stand with you. Show them for the racist hypocrites they truly are. I’ll ride a bike till its over.