The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a vote by the United Auto Workers (UAW) to divest from Israeli bonds over the genocide in Gaza.
SEE: UAW convention votes to divest from Israeli bonds
The vote marks a historic victory for rank-and-file UAW members, Palestinian human rights advocates, and the growing national movement demanding that public institutions, unions, pension systems, universities, municipalities, faith bodies, and private entities end financial complicity in Israeli human rights abuses.
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
“We welcome this principled and historic vote by UAW members to ensure that workers’ dues and union investments are not used to fund or profit from apartheid, occupation and genocide. At a time when the Israeli government continues its campaign of mass slaughter, starvation and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, institutions across our nation must decide whether they will remain complicit or stand on the side of justice.
“UAW members have sent a powerful message: labor rights and human rights are inseparable. No worker should be forced to see their union’s resources invested in bonds that enable the oppression of the Palestinian people. We urge the UAW leadership to fully implement this vote without delay, and we call on every union, pension fund, university and public institution to follow this courageous example.”
CAIR noted that the UAW vote follows months of organizing by rank-and-file union members and labor advocates who have called for divestment from Israeli bonds and corporations tied to Israel’s ongoing violations of Palestinian rights.
The vote also comes amid growing divestment momentum nationwide. Recently, CAIR’s Maryland office and coalition partners in the Break the Bonds campaign welcomed a major reduction in Israeli bond holdings by Maryland’s public pension system, describing the move as one of the largest known state-level divestments from Israeli sovereign bonds to date.
CAIR has repeatedly called on public and private institutions to cut financial ties with companies and government instruments that enable Israel’s occupation, illegal settlement enterprise, apartheid system and ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The civil rights group continues to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an end to U.S. military support for Israel’s genocide, accountability for war crimes, and the protection of free speech rights for students, workers, faith leaders and advocates who speak out for Palestinian freedom.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com