Petition language

We, the undersigned groups and concerned Washingtonians, call on the Washington State Investment Board, Governor Ferguson, the State Treasurer, and our state, city, and county elected representatives to take urgent action to support justice and peace in Palestine and protect Washington's pension funds from the financial instability and legal risk associated with investments tied to occupation, apartheid, and genocide. In service of this we urge you to divest from companies that profit off of the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine, as well as Israeli apartheid and occupation of Palestinian lands.

Context:

Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed over 68,000* Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. We see increasing calls from the international community to hold the State of Israel to account for its siege on Gaza. The United Nations has found that Israel is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the World Health Organization warns Gaza’s entire population is facing catastrophic hunger. The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel is plausibly committing the crime of genocide. 

Our Demands:

Given the aforementioned atrocities we, the undersigned, call on the Washington State Investment Board, Governor Ferguson, the State Treasurer, and our city, county, and state elected representatives to take action to do the following:

1. Divest from holdings in companies that profit off the ongoing genocide in Palestine, as well as Israeli apartheid and occupation of Palestinian lands.

2. Divest from holdings in Israeli corporations and bonds.

3. Commit to not purchasing Israel Bonds now or in the future.

These steps are necessary to bring the state of Washington into alignment with United States and international humanitarian codes, and to ensure our state does not immorally profit off of the killing and displacement of innocent civilians in Palestine. In addition, these steps serve to protect Washington's pension funds from the financial instability and legal risk associated with investments tied to occupation, apartheid, and genocide.

*Numbers and statistics related to deaths and injuries will be updated as data is made available.

(Note: signatures on this petition may be made public)