Having connections to the settlements is really becoming a scarlet letter, isn't it? Adalah-NY reports that the international humantarian organization CARE USA has dropped a member of its board of directors over their relationship to Lev Leviev's Africa Israel which builds homes in West Bank settlements.
From the Adalah-NY press release:
A member of the board of directors of the leading international humanitarian aid organization CARE USA has taken a voluntary leave of absence from CARE’s board due to the involvement of his employer, Africa Israel, in Israeli settlement activities. The move last week came after a July 12 letter to the Atlanta-based non-profit by the rights group Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel that outlined Africa Israel’s settlement ties, followed by letters from Jews Say No, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) andCODEPINK, and meetings and discussions between representatives from CARE and Adalah-NY and JVP.
Riham Barghouti from Adalah-NY explained, “We thank CARE USA for acting swiftly to appropriately address this issue once it was brought to their attention. Representatives from CARE USA told us that they have approved the Board member's request for an indefinite leave of absence while he remains in any way affiliated with Africa Israel. While on leave, we have been assured that the member in question will not attend or vote at Board meetings, receive Board information, or play any other role on the CARE USA Board.” . . .
Aaron Levitt from Adalah-NY said, “CARE’s response upheld the organization's reputation for integrity, and was consistent with its more than 60 years of principled service to individuals and families in many of the poorest communities in Palestine and worldwide. It is our understanding that the Board member in question had no knowledge of Africa Israel's involvement with settlement construction prior to Adalah-NY’s letter. The board member was already serving on the CARE USA Board when he established his connection with Africa Israel. We accept CARE USA’s assurance that the organization would never knowingly appoint a person associated with Israeli settlements to the CARE board.”
A quick internet search of the CARE USA website would seem to indicate that the board member in question is Richard A. Marin, the Executive Chairman and CEO of Africa Israel Investments USA. Although he isn't currently listed on their website, he does appear in this cached version.
This campaign follows similar efforts by Adalah-NY to isolate Leviev for his settlement construction activities. In the past they have been successful in getting Oxfam, UNICEF and other charitable causes to distance themselves from Leviev over Africa Israel.
Here's more from Adalah-NY on Africa Israel's role in the settlements:
From 2000 -2008, Danya Cebus, the construction subsidiary of Africa Israel, built homes in the settlements of Har Homa, Maale Adumim (two different projects), Adam, and Mattityahu East on the land of the West Bank village of Bil’in. According to Who Profits, a project of Israel’s Coalition of Women for Peace, Africa Israel owns a percentage of the Alon Group, which has facilities and supermarkets in a number of Israeli settlements through the company Blue Square. In late December, 2009, Africa Israel sold Anglo-Saxon Real Estate, a company that sold settlement homes. Another Leviev-owned company, Leader Management and Development, owns and operates the expanding settlement of Zufim, built on the land of the West Bank village of Jayyous. Leviev has also been a donor to the Israeli groups the Land Redemption Fund and the Bukharan Community Trust, both of which have been involved in expanding Israeli settlements.
Update: Here is an official statement from CARE USA on the issue:
STATEMENT
Rich Marin is voluntarily taking a leave of absence from his position on the CARE USA board of directors.
Mr. Marin has been a long-time supporter of CARE, playing key roles in the former CARE Corporate Council and in several fundraising efforts. After joining the CARE board in 2008, Mr. Marin was hired as the CEO of Africa Israel Investments USA (AFI USA), a real estate investment company that invests in the United States and Panama. The parent company of AFI USA is Africa Israel Investments Ltd.
Recently, a grassroots organization called Adalah-NY notified CARE and Mr. Marin that some companies under Africa Israel Investments Ltd. have been connected to building settlements in the West Bank in violation of international law. Although Mr. Marin and AFI USA do not build settlements in the West Bank, Mr. Marin did not want even the appearance of a connection to hinder CARE’s work, especially in West Bank and Gaza, so he voluntarily stepped aside from his CARE USA Board obligations.
CARE opposes illegal settlement building and encourages all parties to redouble their efforts toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the West Bank and Gaza. Mr. Marin remains committed to CARE's work in the West Bank and Gaza and to CARE's global vision: a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live in dignity and security.
We continue to thank Mr. Marin for his service to CARE and to the people living in extreme poverty around the world.
Well done, Adalah. Kudos for an effective campaign.
Time to get the tax exemptions pulled from all these hatebeds. That will cut donations the way nothing else will.
good point
The closing lines of Netanyahu’s Jewish New Year address to Jews around the world:
“In the next year, Israel will face many challenges.
I have no doubt that in meeting those challenges, Jewish communities around the world will stand by Israel’s side – I think we’ve seen that every step of the way up to now. We’ll see that every step of the way going forward.
May you all have a healthy and happy New Year. Shana Tova.”
This is better than last year’s missive:
“I want to wish you a Shana Tova from Jerusalem, the eternal undivided capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.”
capital of the Jewish people?!
The settler-state PM thinks Jews around the world will stand by Israel?
We’ll see about that!
Jewish communities around the world will stand by Israel’s side
And will continue to ask themselves why they are haemorrhaging members – concluding that it must be the allure of sexy gentiles and that the answer must be more match-making Birthright trips and racist ad campaigns.
Without sexy gentiles there would be nor organized Jewish community – at least here in the U.S. Interfaith families are the backbones of the Reform movement and, are making significant inroads in the Conservative movement too (which is the main movement that is haemorraging members),
The pathology of the Israel dependency is complex. It seems to me that Israel is on the verge of becoming the new defining issue in the Jewish community. A generation ago it was endogamy, now it’s Israel.
Synagogues and Jews will identify themselves as internationalist, human rights-oriented or as insular, racist-friendly, Israel-firsters.
Jerusalem as the “capital of the Jewish people” can be taken in a variety of ways. When it is a statement meant to deprive Palestinians of their rights to or in Jerusalem, when it is a statement meant to deprive Israelis of their right to compromise over sharing Jerusalem, I agree that it is a destructive idea.
But the fact is that Jews who pray three times a day or thank God for their meals after having eaten three times a day, mention Jerusalem constantly, and although capital has distinctly political connotations, Jerusalem is the focus of those Jews who still utter the Jewish prayers as their parents have uttered them before them, for hundreds if not thousands of years.
Movement
Adam/all this may be of interest. Felon Scooter Libby on Fox News beating the drums for a war with Iran. Fox news should call that segment
ot
Felons on Fox. This is the guy who helped out the very undercover agent who was keeping tabs on potential Iranian nuclear weapons development. He was key to taking her out. What a sham.
And we still do not know the amount of damage done to US national security that was done by that outing.
For Libby and team there are just not enough dead, injured and displaced in Iraq based on false intelligence that his team of murderous thugs sold to the American public. They started pushing the American public towards military action against Iran since soon after the immoral invasion of Iraq.
Libby on Fox
link to emptywheel.firedoglake.com
And as usual, the pro-Palestinian propaganda organizations are the only ones saying this.
CARE’s board is mostly investment bankers. Should we go through their portfolios and see what their holdings are?
Your point is what – the news source is lying? Or no one else gives a damn?
Why not? Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
“And as usual, the pro-Palestinian propaganda organizations are the only ones saying this.”
Really? Since when was the Tel Aviv-based Reut Institute a pro-Palestinian propaganda organization?
Since it deviated from the Zionist party line, Shingo.
What’s your definition of “propaganda”? I’d like to know.
After just reading the post on the BDS movement it occurs to me that several things are being left out.
One of those is we aren’t doing anything BDS wise about boycotting the businesses in here the US of the zionist who are supporting the occupation.
I’d like to see a list of all the US supporters of Israeli expansion in Palestine and their business and business interest take center stage also.
I’d like to see protest in front of the casino king’s establishment and in front of all businesses that are owned by those who shovel money into the settlement enterprise or congressional payola for Israel’s occupation.
It’s a fact that the public will turn their ire on what is closest to them…..the US supporters are the main tumor of the occupation, up the anty, go after them.
You can’t stop Israe’s occupation in Israel, you can only stop it by stopping the US element that keeps it going.
Whatever Israel loses in BDS the US will just make up to them in more US taxpayer money and support..you have to end it here.
Its very important, from an activist perspective, to have a target campaign that focuses on a specific, achievable goal. You can’t go after every target all the time– the list of companies complicit just in the occupation, much less in Israel in general, is giant. Its overwhelming.
The Leviev campaign has gotten these victories because we try to be laser-focused.
The post has been updated with the official statement from CARE. I’ll repost it here:
STATEMENT
Rich Marin is voluntarily taking a leave of absence from his position on the CARE USA board of directors.
Mr. Marin has been a long-time supporter of CARE, playing key roles in the former CARE Corporate Council and in several fundraising efforts. After joining the CARE board in 2008, Mr. Marin was hired as the CEO of Africa Israel Investments USA (AFI USA), a real estate investment company that invests in the United States and Panama. The parent company of AFI USA is Africa Israel Investments Ltd.
Recently, a grassroots organization called Adalah-NY notified CARE and Mr. Marin that some companies under Africa Israel Investments Ltd. have been connected to building settlements in the West Bank in violation of international law. Although Mr. Marin and AFI USA do not build settlements in the West Bank, Mr. Marin did not want even the appearance of a connection to hinder CARE’s work, especially in West Bank and Gaza, so he voluntarily stepped aside from his CARE USA Board obligations.
CARE opposes illegal settlement building and encourages all parties to redouble their efforts toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the West Bank and Gaza. Mr. Marin remains committed to CARE’s work in the West Bank and Gaza and to CARE’s global vision: a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live in dignity and security.
We continue to thank Mr. Marin for his service to CARE and to the people living in extreme poverty around the world.
Waiting for acknowledgment from hophmi
In answer to American’s question: The British website: inminds.co.uk has an exhaustive list of USA companies and their products which participate in the Israeli economy and/or whose owner/CEO is a heavy contributor to Israel.
Thanks.
Since what we’re up against are the supporting pillars of Empire, militarism, control of information and institutionalized greed , won’t the realization of peace and justice for Palestine shake those pillars as never before? What’s more doesn’t this no holds barred effort by Zionists and supporters to demonize those of us who see through the one about a land without a people for a people without a land tell us that they sense that their dream about a Jewish-state has turned into a nightmare? How will this play out? With the dissolution of the settler-state (not its people), together with the realization setting in among a public that heretofore has been too busy with the day to day to notice, let alone care about what the settlers (every Jewish Israeli except for those who actively support justice for Palestine) do to the Palestinian people? And isn’t it likely that not only the Zionists know this, but that the above mentioned pillars of Empire (along with their puppets in government) know it too? Why else such desperation? The future’s headed straight their way and so far, at least, they don’t like what they see. No surprise, this, being that one loss is all it’ll take.