A Sheffield Green Party Councillor has called on the South Yorkshire Pension Authority to stop funding Israel, weapons and fossil fuels.
Sheffield City Council’s contributions to employee pensions are invested through the South Yorkshire Pension Authority.
Gleadless Valley Councillor Paul Turpin who proposed a motion at a Sheffield Council meeting said,
“The South Yorkshire Pension Authority has a Responsible Investment Policy which states that it should ‘do no harm’, but it is clear that its investments in Israel are in direct contradiction with this policy.
“Over 46,000 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza, including at least 14,000 children. 90% of all homes have been destroyed, some by UK manufactured weapons.
“Amnesty International, UN Human Rights Watch and Medecins Sans Frontieres all say that Israel’s actions are consistent with genocide. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has an arrest warrant against him from the International Criminal Court.
“South Yorkshire Pensions Authority should amend its Responsible Investment Policy to explicitly add exclusions and a policy of divestment from states and companies committing or profiting from human rights abuses and breaches of International Law. They should publish their holdings in states involved in human rights abuses, companies which produce weapons and companies which produce fossil fuels.
“If we are really going to make the world a safer, more peaceful place then the financial choices that we make should be ones that protect our environment and oppose injustice and war.”
