Speaking as a Canadian, every time I hear "America's closest ally" referring to Israel, I wonder in what possible way is Israel a greater ally than the U.K., Australia, New Zealand or Canada. Our relationship is both beneficial with intelligence as well as economically. Israel may provide intelligence, (if it feels like it), but economically it is a 'one way street' benefitting only Israel. I believe Jewish people have provided so much beauty to this word, both culturally, and through innovation scientifically and the arts, but the state of Israel is currently risking all that is great about their history. My hope is that the shadow of Zionism can be shaken off before it is too late.
Well said, Ian. I would add that Jews are people like any other group of people. They may act nobly or they may act abominably or anywhere in between. Israel is acting abominably as is the US in supporting slaughter without a time or material limit. Netanyahu is effectively the US commander in chief. Ethnic cleansing was wrong when the US did it to the Indians, it was wrong when the Nazis did it to the Jews and it is wrong when Jews who are Israeli are doing it to the Palestinians. No group of human beings is exempt from moral behavior and no wrong, no matter how awful (holocaust) excuses another wrong.
The protection of Israel by the US from all international law while arming it with everything the US can supply in money and weapons has created a monster of aggression. Netanyahu was certainly right when, years ago, he told a settler family that "the US is easily managed". This is now proven beyond doubt as the entire world stands in opposition to the Israeli slaughter while the US is isolated alone with Israel, yet still providing a guaranteed UN veto and all the weaponry that Israel could dream of having and using.
I am ashamed to say I am an American. I oppose my hypocritical government that has completely set aside liberty and justice for all to obey the wishes of money via our corrupt Congress that AIPAC buys openly. This is the lowest point in American history, our philosophical foundation betrayed by our leadership for the sustenance of an ethnic cleansing colony that places no limit on the killing and destruction it metes out to any and all who do not support ethnic supremacy.
(also from Canada) Israel is America's beachhead in the Middle East, the Pride of Cent-Com and must be protected at the level of Most Exceptional Nation status. So no atomic facilities inspections, no accounting for anything. This is how democracy works, and this report shows the sneaky way to shove more of YOUR money to Israel. Nice how easy it is for govt officials to invest other-people's money!
Thank you. If an officer of a public company ignored higher return instruments in favor of a friend who "needs the money," they would be targeted by a shareholder lawsuit. Who can hold Abruzzo and his ilk accountable for violation of fiduciary responsibility?
First, Outstanding reporting Jessica. Nothing better than to hit the ground running. Yet another reason why a DropSite subscription in the best investment in investigative reporting.
This is yet another crazy aspect of Israel. With their economy in a tailspin, people fleeing the country and army reservists not reporting for duty in larger numbers. These bonds will have the same fate as the infamous Mozambique Tuna Bonds. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuna_bonds )And you can bet when they start getting dumped (at a significant loss), the sellers will be be branded as anti-Semites.
I feel better about investing in Muslim-owned businesses like HIMS now. I don't even invest in SPY, because it would mean giving my money to Amazon, Microsoft, Tesla, Apple, etc. It sucks that my returns may be poor as a result.
Thanks for this insightful article. It helps explain why we can't get Palestinian support at the municipal level. :(
Several years ago, Illinois passed legislation to allow purchases of the securities of foreign countries (IL appears in you list). Aware that this was nothing but a move for Israel, I followed during the next few years the purchases. Sure enough, no other country's bonds were purchased but Israel's. I wrote the state treasurer asking about this and he replied that Israel bonds were a wonderful investment. I demanded to know why only Israel bonds were purchased. The following year, the bonds of other countries started to be purchased along with those of Israel. The racket was exposed and had to be covered.
It is yet another underhanded way to support Israel. For me the question is very simple and I pose it all the time when someone comes up to me as I picket with my sign "Palestinian Lives Matter" in front of a synagogue whose rabbi and members appeared at a public hearing to stop an attempt at a ceasefire resolution by my city. The question is - do you support liberty and justice for all or do you support ethnic cleaning? One cannot support both. Joe Biden, Zionist, is a traitor to America. No a whisper from mainstream media about the hypocrisy.
BTW - I have written to DropSite, to Ryan, via snail mail about what I am doing. Since the grip of Zionism at the top in America is ironclad, the only way for Americans to support liberty and justice for all is to work from the bottom as I am doing, all alone on a street corner in cold winter weather. I had hoped that Ryan or someone would at least reply to me even if DropSite has no interest in what I am doing. Not a word of reply, to my dismay, though I am a DS subscriber.
I think that if individuals across America started popping up on street corners with the Palestinian flag wearing a PALESTINIAN LIVES MATTER sign the impact could be tremendous. Will nobody support me in standing for liberty and justice for all? If not, why was the Pledge of Allegiance recited in grade school?
Great and timely article. Jessica, welcome to drop site, I really miss you on Rising. You were terrific. But your writing is great also. Looking forward to more of your coverage. You are in great professional company with Ryan and Jeremy
The public jurisdictions,American states cities and counties, have legal parameters to follow. This includes making a responsible return—aka: making $ with the public’s money in pension funds, etc. This is not their $, it is ours.
I doubt that any of those legal parameters require them to dish money our hard earned money to Israel, one if the richest countries in the world for no financial gain. Why invest?
good luck with that! it was perhaps ? about 10 years or more ago that I TRIED to find out how much was invested in my state's employee retirement pension funds but that information at that time was more locked up than Fort Knox! and could not even talk with the chief investor of those funds to ask any questions..I submit that NOW every state should make public that information...it is part of due diligence and their fiduciary responsibility!!
Superb reporting by Burbank. I was happy to see TIAA/CREF, CALPERS, and WI Public Employees were not on this list.
I discovered after reading this article how this has been happening for a long time. This explains why toadies from both cartel parties were permitting the Israeli government to take away our Citizens' First Amendment rights in 38 states with "loyalty oaths," not permitting criticism of the Netanyahu gangster government and, especially, forbidding a citizen to advocate for boycotts and divestment while our own corrupt "representatives" were shoveling Americans' retirement funds to support ethnic cleansing, murder, and land grabs. The toadies of BOTH cartel parties involved in this are unfit for holding any position of responsibility. At this stage and degree of corruption, neither cartel party deserves our support or trust.
KA, I’m with you on the essence of your reporting. But $580M invested over the last 11 months by US states does not seem like much. It may be significant to Israel, but how much have these same states invested elsewhere? Thanks.
Speaking as a Canadian, every time I hear "America's closest ally" referring to Israel, I wonder in what possible way is Israel a greater ally than the U.K., Australia, New Zealand or Canada. Our relationship is both beneficial with intelligence as well as economically. Israel may provide intelligence, (if it feels like it), but economically it is a 'one way street' benefitting only Israel. I believe Jewish people have provided so much beauty to this word, both culturally, and through innovation scientifically and the arts, but the state of Israel is currently risking all that is great about their history. My hope is that the shadow of Zionism can be shaken off before it is too late.
Well said, Ian. I would add that Jews are people like any other group of people. They may act nobly or they may act abominably or anywhere in between. Israel is acting abominably as is the US in supporting slaughter without a time or material limit. Netanyahu is effectively the US commander in chief. Ethnic cleansing was wrong when the US did it to the Indians, it was wrong when the Nazis did it to the Jews and it is wrong when Jews who are Israeli are doing it to the Palestinians. No group of human beings is exempt from moral behavior and no wrong, no matter how awful (holocaust) excuses another wrong.
The protection of Israel by the US from all international law while arming it with everything the US can supply in money and weapons has created a monster of aggression. Netanyahu was certainly right when, years ago, he told a settler family that "the US is easily managed". This is now proven beyond doubt as the entire world stands in opposition to the Israeli slaughter while the US is isolated alone with Israel, yet still providing a guaranteed UN veto and all the weaponry that Israel could dream of having and using.
I am ashamed to say I am an American. I oppose my hypocritical government that has completely set aside liberty and justice for all to obey the wishes of money via our corrupt Congress that AIPAC buys openly. This is the lowest point in American history, our philosophical foundation betrayed by our leadership for the sustenance of an ethnic cleansing colony that places no limit on the killing and destruction it metes out to any and all who do not support ethnic supremacy.
(also from Canada) Israel is America's beachhead in the Middle East, the Pride of Cent-Com and must be protected at the level of Most Exceptional Nation status. So no atomic facilities inspections, no accounting for anything. This is how democracy works, and this report shows the sneaky way to shove more of YOUR money to Israel. Nice how easy it is for govt officials to invest other-people's money!
Thank you. If an officer of a public company ignored higher return instruments in favor of a friend who "needs the money," they would be targeted by a shareholder lawsuit. Who can hold Abruzzo and his ilk accountable for violation of fiduciary responsibility?
First, Outstanding reporting Jessica. Nothing better than to hit the ground running. Yet another reason why a DropSite subscription in the best investment in investigative reporting.
This is yet another crazy aspect of Israel. With their economy in a tailspin, people fleeing the country and army reservists not reporting for duty in larger numbers. These bonds will have the same fate as the infamous Mozambique Tuna Bonds. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuna_bonds )And you can bet when they start getting dumped (at a significant loss), the sellers will be be branded as anti-Semites.
I feel better about investing in Muslim-owned businesses like HIMS now. I don't even invest in SPY, because it would mean giving my money to Amazon, Microsoft, Tesla, Apple, etc. It sucks that my returns may be poor as a result.
Thanks for this insightful article. It helps explain why we can't get Palestinian support at the municipal level. :(
It's great to see you reporting for Drop Site. I'm looking forward to seeing your coverage of domestic issues.
Several years ago, Illinois passed legislation to allow purchases of the securities of foreign countries (IL appears in you list). Aware that this was nothing but a move for Israel, I followed during the next few years the purchases. Sure enough, no other country's bonds were purchased but Israel's. I wrote the state treasurer asking about this and he replied that Israel bonds were a wonderful investment. I demanded to know why only Israel bonds were purchased. The following year, the bonds of other countries started to be purchased along with those of Israel. The racket was exposed and had to be covered.
It is yet another underhanded way to support Israel. For me the question is very simple and I pose it all the time when someone comes up to me as I picket with my sign "Palestinian Lives Matter" in front of a synagogue whose rabbi and members appeared at a public hearing to stop an attempt at a ceasefire resolution by my city. The question is - do you support liberty and justice for all or do you support ethnic cleaning? One cannot support both. Joe Biden, Zionist, is a traitor to America. No a whisper from mainstream media about the hypocrisy.
BTW - I have written to DropSite, to Ryan, via snail mail about what I am doing. Since the grip of Zionism at the top in America is ironclad, the only way for Americans to support liberty and justice for all is to work from the bottom as I am doing, all alone on a street corner in cold winter weather. I had hoped that Ryan or someone would at least reply to me even if DropSite has no interest in what I am doing. Not a word of reply, to my dismay, though I am a DS subscriber.
I think that if individuals across America started popping up on street corners with the Palestinian flag wearing a PALESTINIAN LIVES MATTER sign the impact could be tremendous. Will nobody support me in standing for liberty and justice for all? If not, why was the Pledge of Allegiance recited in grade school?
Great and timely article. Jessica, welcome to drop site, I really miss you on Rising. You were terrific. But your writing is great also. Looking forward to more of your coverage. You are in great professional company with Ryan and Jeremy
I thought that pension funds had a fiduciary responsibility to the pensioners over and above the state of Israel.
The public jurisdictions,American states cities and counties, have legal parameters to follow. This includes making a responsible return—aka: making $ with the public’s money in pension funds, etc. This is not their $, it is ours.
I doubt that any of those legal parameters require them to dish money our hard earned money to Israel, one if the richest countries in the world for no financial gain. Why invest?
good luck with that! it was perhaps ? about 10 years or more ago that I TRIED to find out how much was invested in my state's employee retirement pension funds but that information at that time was more locked up than Fort Knox! and could not even talk with the chief investor of those funds to ask any questions..I submit that NOW every state should make public that information...it is part of due diligence and their fiduciary responsibility!!
I love your reporting...Our greatest ally seems to be our greatest paracite.
The politicians are unbelieveable putting loyalty to Israel above whats right for
the USA.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Israel is the 51st state. And the US’s mini-me.
Sadly from our politician’s actions it seems like our 1st and only state.
Apparently more important than the other 50.
Superb reporting by Burbank. I was happy to see TIAA/CREF, CALPERS, and WI Public Employees were not on this list.
I discovered after reading this article how this has been happening for a long time. This explains why toadies from both cartel parties were permitting the Israeli government to take away our Citizens' First Amendment rights in 38 states with "loyalty oaths," not permitting criticism of the Netanyahu gangster government and, especially, forbidding a citizen to advocate for boycotts and divestment while our own corrupt "representatives" were shoveling Americans' retirement funds to support ethnic cleansing, murder, and land grabs. The toadies of BOTH cartel parties involved in this are unfit for holding any position of responsibility. At this stage and degree of corruption, neither cartel party deserves our support or trust.
Using the peoples money to buy Israeli bonds at a time when
Israel has been called on its GAZA genocide is wrong.
KA, I’m with you on the essence of your reporting. But $580M invested over the last 11 months by US states does not seem like much. It may be significant to Israel, but how much have these same states invested elsewhere? Thanks.
What bothers me is thier using the peoples money for thier own political
foreign policy. Their are alot of Americans that don't like Israel and to use
thier money isn't right.
Excellent exposure, why an alternate politics needs to go all the way down to the school boards.