Works In Progress - February 2006 - Challenging Caterpillar, Inc: Moving the Frontlines of the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict

Caterpillar Inc. is responsible for violations of human rights in the Occupied Territories and must be held accountable. Caterpillar knows this is happening and continues to violate international law. The Olympia CAT Campaign is calling on the company to investigate its role in human rights abuses and cease its support of the Israeli military through the supply of Caterpillar equipment, including the CAT D9 militarized bulldozer, which was used in the killing of Rachel Corrie.

In the last two issues, Works In Progress published reports from Serena Becker and Rochelle Gause, local activists working with the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project. Because of these first-hand experiences, many people in Olympia know about the daily realities of Palestinians living under occupation. Reports by the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International demonstrate that a vast majority of human rights violations are committed by Israel -- the only confirmed nuclear power in the region with the fifth largest military in the world -- against a stateless people, the Palestinians.

We can learn from those who bear witness and educate ourselves with information from human rights organizations to understand the conflict. Israel is occupying Palestine, building settlements, confiscating agricultural land and natural resources, maintains absolute control over the economy and movement of Palestinians and is actively committing human rights abuses, such as indefinite detention, torture, the use of human shields and extrajudicial assassinations. Caterpillar is well aware of the integral role that it plays in the nearly 40 years of occupation.

The United States sends billions in tax dollars and loan guarantees to Israel yearly on the condition of military purchases of US-made armaments. Caterpillar sells bulldozers to Israel with the assistance of the US Foreign Military Sales Program. If the United States suspended all aid to Israel -- the country that receives more US aid then any other country in the world -- and demanded that the settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem be removed and Israel's suffocating economic grip on the Gaza Strip be released, what would happen? Who has the power to change the situation in the Middle East? The frontlines have shifted.

Corporations such as Caterpillar, Inc. knowingly profit from the brutalization of Palestinian lives and the continued militarization of Israeli society. The death of Israeli civilians is always tragic and inexcusable, yet the physical and emotional effect of the occupation lays the burden of care on the shoulders of Israel, the occupying power, and the governments and corporations who continue to support the occupation.

Caterpillar destroys the homes and livelihood of Palestinians. It is estimated that 1,085,063 olive trees were uprooted in last the 4-1/2 years. Caterpillar equipment plays a major role in the destruction of agricultural land, which sustains Palestinian society. CAT bulldozers were used to demolish 4,170 Palestinian homes between September of 2000 and December of 2004 by the Israeli military. 2,500 of these homes were in Rafah, Gaza Strip, leaving homeless 10% of the population.

In Rafah, the Nasrallah family home was demolished. The Nasrallahs, who Rachel Corrie was living with when she was killed by a CAT D9 bulldozer while protecting their home, were never accused by the Israeli military of participating in any illegal activity supporting armed resistance. Internationals who witnessed the event report that Rachel was in full view of the soldier and then run over by the CAT D9 bulldozer once and then backed over again. Israel refuses to acknowledge that Rachel was run over by the bulldozer, instead claiming that she was killed by a falling slab of concrete. The name of the man who committed this crime is still not known by the Corrie family, and a full investigation has yet to be launched by the US State Department, the Israeli government or Caterpillar Inc.

In the West Bank, Caterpillar equipment is used to construct the West Bank barrier deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in an advisory decision in July of 2004. The wall separates Palestinian villages, annexes agricultural land for illegal settlement and confiscates water resources. The wall snakes inside the Palestinian Occupied Territories, at times up to 13 miles, and separates the West Bank from East Jerusalem, the future capital of the elusive Palestinian state.

Caterpillar Inc. is fully aware of this, and also aware of the extrajudicial killings that have taken place during home demolishing mission of the Israeli military. The following is a short list of civilians killed during these military actions:

Ibrahim Mohammed Khalafallah, 70s

Jamal Fayed, 38 Disabled

Rachel Corrie, 23

The Sho'ib Family

Fatima, 57

Samir, 48

Nabila, 40

Abir, 38

Abdallah, 9

Azzam, 7

Anas, 4

Olympians feel a unique solidarity with Palestinians. Maybe you have a friend who traveled to Palestine on a fact-finding mission, a civil disobedience delegation, or a cross cultural journey. Maybe that friend came back quieter; maybe she didn't come back at all.

Here we feel powerless and overwhelmed. The Olympian prints more celebratory letters about Rachel Corrie's death then about any other person in the history of the newspaper. The letters often contain not only derogatory and abusive language towards Rachel and the Corrie family, often times they contain myths presented as facts. Mainstream media only reports about our community members building bridges of peace when Arabs can be construed as out of control and lawless. People are silenced by threats of anti-Semitism or fears of being called self-hating Jews when they bring up Israeli human rights abuses and the distortion of information. In response, we may attempt to distance ourselves from the conflict to assuage the discomfort this issue creates.

We know the truths of the conflict and so does Caterpillar, Inc. We make choices every day in the ways we consume information, spend money and talk to one another. It is necessary to demand that Caterpillar, Inc. be accountable and to take necessary action to stand beside our fellow global citizenry.

Caterpillar destroys homes, builds the wall and tears apart agricultural fields and decimates the environment in Palestine. Caterpillar is a tool of the occupation and actively plays a role in abuse perpetrated against the Palestinian people by the Israeli military. Ending corporate human rights abuse is a necessary step to create justice, peace and reconciliation in Israel/Palestine.

Ways that you can support the Olympia CAT Campaign:

1.Come to the Caterpillar Town Meeting on February 16th. Guest speakers from Jewish Voice for Peace and US Campaign to End the Occupation will be joining us to share their experiences and skills in organizing nationally through grassroots movements. We are looking for organizations to sponsor this event.

2.Ask friends to fill out postcards and deliver them to the Oly CAT Campaign. Throughout the month of February, postcards will be collected at CAT Boxes placed in businesses around Olympia. These postcards will be delivered in bulk to the CEO of Caterpillar in March. Talk to your faith communities, businesses and organizations about sponsoring the campaign

3.Declare local businesses and homes CAT FREE ZONES by placing a placard in your window calling for an end to corporate sponsored human rights abuses. Thank local businesses by shopping and mentioning your appreciation for their stand. Placards are available by contacting olycat@gmail.com.

4.Participate in regional actions to stop CAT. On April 12th, Jewish Voice for Peace will pressure Caterpillar to investigate the company's role in human rights abuses in the Occupied Territories at the annual shareholders meeting. Wide community participation is key to making this event a success.

We must take risks, despite the discomfort. Our desire to act moves us beyond feelings of anguish and guilt. The rights of humans to live in dignity, peace and self determination are crucial for our humanity regardless of race or religion. Our fellow human beings depend on us because we are empowered to create change in our community. We can effect the way Caterpillar, Inc. does business. By joining the Olympia Caterpillar Campaign you demonstrate the optimism that change is possible.

For more information about Caterpillar, Inc., please visit http://www.catdetroyshomes.org

Please contact the Olympia CAT Campaign at olycat@gmail.com, (206)550-0503 for more information about ways you can get connected.

Much of the information gathered for this report can be found at one of the following web sites:

B'Tselem, http://www.btselem.org

Jewish Voice for Peace, http://www.jvp.org

U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, http://www.endtheoccupation.org

Amnesty International, http://www.amnestyusa.org

Human Rights Watch, http://www.hrw.org