Keep the pro-Israel lobby's hands off of our pension.

Kudos to Jim Klutznick, Bill Singer and Marilyn Katz for their clear and concise article in Crain’s Chicago Business on the misuse of Illinois public employee pensions on behalf of the pro-Israel lobby.

Jim Klutznick is a developer and board president of Americans for Peace Now. Bill Singer is an attorney and board member of J Street. Marilyn Katz is president of MK Communications and a board member of Americans for Peace Now.

The Crain’s article is in response to the December 22nd action by a committee, established by the Illinois legislature and signed off on by Governor JB Pritzker, to withdraw public pension investments in Unilever, an international company based outside of the United States.

As the article points out, Unilever’s alleged crime is that they own Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Ben and Jerry’s announced last year it would no longer sell its product in the Israeli illegally occupied territories, the homeland of Palestinians.

What does Ben and Jerry’s, Unilever or Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land have to do with our pension?

Nothing.

This is not to say that I have no interest in the Israeli treatment of Palestinians in the land that is theirs.

In fact, I am outraged by it.

Klutznick, Singer and Katz describe the situation perfectly.

While controlled and surrounded by Israel, the Palestinians living in the West Bank (as they have for centuries) are not Israeli citizens, cannot vote in Israel’s elections, cannot travel to Israeli cities (or even to the beaches a few miles from their homes) without permission from Israeli military authorities, are subject to Israeli military (but not civil) courts, and do not have Israeli passports nor access to the Israeli airport. The only persons in the West Bank with full Israeli rights are Jewish and live in the settlements that are considered illegal by all international bodies and treaties, including the Geneva Conventions.

The moral and business decision by Ben and Jerry’s to not sell its product in the occupied territories is admirable in my opinion.

But, again. What does this have to do with my public teacher pension and who gets to decide not to invest in Unilever?

We have a pension board of trustees, with elected representatives, that exists for the purpose of overseeing our pension investments.

The unelected committee that made this decision on December 22 came out of a 2015 Illinois law that prevents Illinois public pension dollars from being invested in any company that boycotts Israel.

The Chicago City Council also passed a similar law.

Pension fund dollars are being misspent to investigate companies like Ben and Jerry’s.

Both the legislature and the Chicago City Council approved the law unanimously.

Every elected that describes themselves as progressive seemed to have kept their heads down and their mouths closed when this came up.

This is the power of the pro-Israel lobby.

As I have pointed out before, the irony of the Illinois legislature using our public pensions for somebody’s political agenda when they have never - to this day - fully funded it is not lost on retirees.