CalSTRS: Divest from apartheid and genocide
An open letter to the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) Board of Directors
We, the undersigned educators, organizations, unions, and tax-paying California voters, are appalled at CalSTRS’ unethical financial investments. CalSTRS, the state pension fund for educators in California’s public education system, owns billions of dollars in investments in weapons manufacturing, shipping, logistics, and fuel companies that facilitate human rights violations around the world, including the ongoing military occupation and genocide of the Palestinian people. Educators, committed to the well-being of children and building a better future, cannot in good conscience retire on the blood of Palestinian children. We, the undersigned, demand that CalSTRS immediately divests from these assets and end its complicity in these crimes against humanity.
Educators across California are united in our commitment to the rights of children around the world to education. The California Federation of Teachers (CFT) states that “all children, regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and social, political, or economic status, must be afforded the right to a high-quality education.” Similarly, the California Teachers Association (CTA) exists to, “Advance the cause of free, universal, and quality public education for all students; to ensure that the human dignity and civil rights of all children, youth and adults are protected; and to secure a more just, equitable, and democratic society.” We believe these rights extend to all children not just those in California or the United States. However, since October 2023, approximately 90% of schools and all universities in Gaza have been destroyed, depriving over 650,000 children of their right to education.
The state of Israel, with the full material and diplomatic support of the Biden Administration, has killed over 14,000 children in Gaza (likely an undercount), and medical experts predict that at least 186,000 Palestinians will die due to Israel’s siege. Over 19,000 children have been orphaned or separated from their families, and more than 1,000 have lost one or both legs. Israel’s relentless bombing campaign led to the creation of a new term: Wounded Child, No Surviving Family. Additionally, Israeli military has killed one Palestinian child every two days since October 2023 in the West Bank.
International and federal institutions have condemned Israel’s actions, with the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and U.S. federal courts recognizing the severity of these crimes against humanity. Additionally, on July 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice found Israel guilty of apartheid, and ordered the immediate end to the occupation of the West Bank and the dismantlement of illegal settlements.
CalSTRS currently has investments in companies that facilitate war and destruction around the world. These companies include Boeing, General Dynamics, Caterpillar, Palantir Technologies, Valero Energy, Elbit Systems, Zim Shipping, and Maersk, all of which support the Israeli military and its oppressive actions against Palestinians. CalSTRS also owns bonds issued by the state of Israel, which offer unrestricted financial support to the Israeli military.
CalSTRS’ has proven a commitment to principled investment practices, including existing divestment mandates for tobacco, Iran, firearms, thermal coal, and private prisons. Just as institutions around the world supported economic sanctions against South Africa’s apartheid in 1990, we now call upon CalSTRS to divest from all its assets and companies supporting Israeli apartheid and genocide.
We call upon CalSTRS to take immediate action to:
1. Divest from all companies and bonds that enable, facilitate, and profit from weapons manufacturing and human rights violations, in particular, violations of international law, military occupation, apartheid, and genocide.
2. Reinvest in ethical and socially responsible investments that align with the values of justice and human rights.
3. Commit to a reasonable timeline for the divestment and reinvestment process.
4. Engage in transparent and ongoing dialogue with educators and stakeholders about the ethical implications of CalSTRS investments, including periodic reports on the process of divestment.
CalSTRS has the opportunity to stand on the right side of history and set a powerful example for other institutions. We can and must use our financial power to exert pressure that could help end the suffering of the Palestinian people and others around the world who are subjected to violence by war profiteers. We urge you to act swiftly and decisively, as Palestinians are being killed every single day. We cannot bring back the dead, but we can and must fight for the living.
In solidarity and towards our collective liberation,
Berkeley Federation of Teachers for Palestine
