BootCAT: Caterpillar Campaign Heats Up, Mark Lance

Caterpillar Campaign Heats Up

Mark Lance, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
December 29, 2004

For perhaps the first time in the history of Palestinian solidarity activism in the US, the majority of organizations working against the occupation are coming together around a single long-term campaign. For decades the Caterpilllar Corporation has supplied bulldozers to the Israeli military for use in home demolitions, as well as the construction of settlements on Palestinian territory and more recently of the apartheid wall. This corporate support for crimes against humanity was criticized frequently by groups like the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions, and Christian Peacemaker Teams over the years, but it wasnšt until early in the second Intifada that the idea of a focused campaign against Catšs sales to the Israeli military was proposed.

There were several reasons for focusing activist pressure on Caterpillar. First, given the great resistance to any such work, a focused campaign around one company has much greater chance of success than launching directly into a broad based campaign against all corporate support for Israel. At the same time, any victory against a major supplier of the Occupation is important. If we can force one major corporation to suspend sales to the IDF, and to state publicly that it is doing so because of violations of international law with its equipment, this will be a huge victory, one that will make each future step that much easier. Third, Caterpillar is largely a public company. Most of their sales are to private construction companies, so they are more vulnerable to pressure in terms of their image than is, say, a company whose primary business is military. Fourth, Caterpillar does only a very small part of its business with the IDF, so it is possible for it to end these sales without devastating consequences for the company. Fifth, the evil of home demolitions actions that directly target civilians and civilian infrastructure is easy to see. Sixth, a Cat bulldozer was used to kill American solidarity activist Rachel Corrie, a fact that brings home the reality and violence of the occupation vividly to the American people. Seventh, Cat has offices in every state nearly every town, and most countries throughout the world, so it is easy to target with local activism.

Early on, the main groups working on the campaign were SUSTAIN (Stop US Tax-funded Aid to Israel Now), JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace), and some ISM support groups, notably in Chicago. Later Progressive Portal joined the campaign, and then in summer 2003, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation took on the campaign as its main activist focus.

In the last few months, work has grown significantly. The US Campaign has organized a national network of Cat Campaign contacts local activists who will serve to coordinate nationally education and action around Cat. We currently have coordinators in 30 areas nationally, and are looking for more. JVP has taken the lead in drafting a shareholderšs resolution which calls on Cat to launch an investigation into whether its equipment is being used to violate international law. This resolution will be reintroduced in April.

Shortly before that happens, there will be a national day of action against Cat. We hope to coordinate educational and activist events all over the country in the lead-up to that day. Meanwhile, the Presbyterian Church USA has voted for a phased targeted divestment from companies supporting the Occupation, and has pledged to vote its Cat stock in favor of the JVP resolution. Human Rights Watch has just called on Cat to end its sales to the IDF. There have been dozens of actions at Cat offices in the US, England, Italy, and other countries.

I firmly believe that this campaign is the way to go. It is drawing in a very broad coalition of groups, and drawing enormous attention nationally and internationally. Of course ending Cat sales to the IDF wonšt even end home demolitions, much less the Occupation. But it can be a first victory, that small stone that begins the avalanche. Today Cat, tomorrow total divestment, and then a free Palestine.