CATERPILLAR Update

I would have linked you to this but it's not online yet (I got it in an email). So I will reprint it in its entirety so you're updated. From Roz Rothstein at StandWithUs.com:

Friends of Israel,

I am writing to you from Chicago, having just left the Caterpillar shareholders meeting where the proposal to investigate what Israel is doing with CATERPILLAR was defeated, 97% to 3%. Although these were preliminary numbers, they are strong.

I must say that it was essential that we were here, and I would like to thank those members and friends who gave StandWithUs their proxy votes ... I arrived representing more than 1350 shares of stock in the company.

The anti-Israel propagandists were present at the meeting in full form, very polished, and made one presentation after another, in an attempt to demonize and marginalize the Jewish state, using CATERPILLAR as a forum. They will tell you that this was not their intention rather, that they want to improve Israel by criticizing her like this. Hmmm ... its an interesting thing to say after they go out of their way to give one-sided negative accounts about Israel.

During the question and answer phase, I was able to challenge the issues brought up by the speakers from Jewish Voice for Peace, BeTzelem, ICHAD, Amnesty International, and a spokesperson on behalf of Rachel Corrie, etc. By my side was Allyson Rowen Taylor from American Jewish Congress, who also spoke out against using CATERPILLAR as a platform like this.

I was concerned when a long presentation was made on the floor by a representative of Jewish Voice for Peace because there was no opportunity at that moment to offer a rebuttal. She held up photos of Palestinians, and she spoke at length about all the negative things you can possibly imagine regarding Israel as an alleged abuser human rights. We were gratefully able to take the microphone at the end of the meeting during the question and answer phase, while everyone was still in the room. We made many important points regarding information that was missing from the presentations that were given.

Had we not been there, the anti-Israel speakers would have been the only voices in that room, not only politicizing the shareholders meeting but giving distorted and misinformed speeches to unsuspecting Directors and shareholders.

A word about the rally that took place in front of the Northern Trust building prior to the meeting: Their theme was mainly related to labor unions but was hijacked by many anti-Israel demonstrators, who had disturbing street theater to make their points, including a tall "grim reaper" costume, as well as a hand made bulldozer costume, etc., all meant to create an atmosphere of blame against Israel. So, while it appeared that all the people who attended the rally were there to demonstrate REGARDING Israel or the issue of Caterpillar's sale of bulldozers to Israel, I spoke with some of the people at the rally who told me that they were actually surprised to see people with another agenda, the anti-Israel agenda, because they were sincerely there out of concern for their labor union issues.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT during the rally, I distributed our new flyers encouraging people to INvest IN Israel. This new StandWithUs campaign was officially launched this week (4-13-05) in response to this campaign against CATERPILLAR as well as the general campaign that we regularly hear about encouraging DIVESTMENT from companies who do business with Israel.

IT IS MANIPULATIVE to have used a company like CATERPILLAR in this way. But I leave Chicago relieved that I was here to provide a pro-Israel voice and certain that this will not be the last time that we will see people work hard to create opportunities like this for their anti-Israel, political agenda. We encourage our members and friends to keep your eyes open and BE THERE in order to counter distortions and one- sided information, as we did today.

Roz Rothstein, National Director,
StandWithUs