Israeli government attempting to entice Coke to build in Israel - take action!

Joint Al-Awda.org and BoycottIsraeliGoods.org alert: Coca-Cola

According to the newspaper Haaretz (July 19, 2002), the Israeli government is attempting to entice Coca-Cola to build a plant
in Kiryat Gat using millions in incentives. Similar incentives were offered to Intel to build its plant on land that belongs to
displaced Palestinians. The Kiryat Gat industrial park is built on the lands of Iraq Al Manshiya whose residents were removed in
1949 in contravention of International law.

Our campaign to publicize and educate the public about this issue resulted in over 2000 letters to Intel and in dozens of articles in the Arab and American Media, including a widely cited recent investigative article in the San Francisco Chronicle. This media coverage has embarrassed Intel and we believe it made a difference. Unlike the Intel campaign which was done only after the plant was built, we now have an opportunity to educate Coca-Cola BEFORE plans and building begin.

Thanks to our supporters, articles and opinion pieces on Intel have been published in newspapers throughout the Arab World, including: Al Dustour (Jordan), Al Watan (Qatar), Al Hayat, Al Safeer (Lebanon), Al-Quds, Al Ayyam (Palestine), Al Ahram (Cairo), Al-Watan (Kuwait), and Al-Khaleej (United Arab Emirates). As a result, we also identified other Palestinian refugees from Iraq Al Manshiya. Thus, we now ask you to write to the media internationally as well as to Coke and Intel to ask for divestment from Israel.

ACTION REQUESTED:

1) Sign our petition found at
http://www.boycottisraeligoods.org/modules.php?name=Petition&file=sign&p_id=2

2) Write letter to Mr. Douglas Daft, CEO
Coca-Cola Enterprises
PO Box 1734
One Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta, Georgia 30313
1-800-571-2653
http://www.coke.com

3) Write to the letters editor of your favorite newspaper or other media outlet. Each letter (100-150 words) should be sent to one newspaper only and include your name, address and phone number. Contact data for newspapers and other media outlets can be found at these web pages:

http://www.fair.org/media-contact-list.html
http://www.MrSmithMedia.com/MrSmithNewspaper.html

You could also write letters to these more national/international
newspapers:

Financial Times letters [at] ft.com
Wall Street Journal letter.editor [at] edit.wsj.com
New York Times letters [at] nytimes.com
The Economist, London letters [at] economist.com
Business Week submit letters online at
http://www.neodata.com/BusinessWeek/lettersed.html

You can send copies of your letters or opinion pieces to Coca-Cola at the above address.

Please send a blind copy (bcc) of your correspondence to Al-Awda-Alerts [at] mail.com

Talking Points

* Coca-Cola should reconsider its investments in Israel and especially reject the incentives to build in Kiryat Gat on land Israel
confiscated from the Palestinian village of Iraq Al-Manshiya. This is outrageous.

* Israel forced out the original inhabitants of Iraq Al Manshiya and the near-by village of Al-Faluja after the 1948 war ended contrary to international law and an armistice agreement sponsored by the UN and which Israel signed. According to the Israeli historian Benny Morris, the expulsion was achieved by "intimidation using all means". For more information see:
http://www.palestineremembered.com/Gaza/Iraq-al-Manshiyya/

* Coca-Cola should not participate and allow Israel to have economic benefits from the illegal dispossession of Palestinians. Israel is denying Palestinian refugees their right of return to their lands and homes which it is occupying. This right is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Law, and is supported by numerous UN resolutions.

* Given Israel's apartheid policies, continuing abuses of fundamental human rights, and violations of International Law, Coca-Cola should divest from Israel forthwith.

* With Israel continuing its war-like policies, the situation in the Middle East continues to get worse (mostly for Palestinians but also to a lesser extent for Israelis). It is unwise for good companies like Coca-Cola to invest in such an ethnically segregated and volatile place.

Our original Intel alert can be found at http://al-awda.org/intel_update.htm

Al-Awda, Palestine Right to Return Coalition
P.O. Box 1172
Orange, CT 06477
Fax: 1-802-609-9284
E-mail: prrc [at] mail.com
http://al-awda.org
Press Room: http://al-awda.org/pressroom.htm

Boycott Israeli Goods and Services Campaign
http://BoycottIsraeliGoods.org
E-mail: info [at] boycottisraeligoods.org