We are TIAA-CREF participants and investors who are deeply concerned that TIAA-CREF invests in companies like Elbit Systems Ltd. Elbit profits from the confiscation of Palestinian land by providing surveillance equipment that is mounted on the Separation Wall, which was declared unlawful by the International Court of Justice. Elbit is also one of the main contractors building the illegal Separation Wall, which expropriates Palestinian resources, including scarce water and even the land itself – resources that are key to farming, food production, human survival and self-determination.

While the specific companies held change over time, TIAA-CREF’s investment criteria do not screen out such investments, which are incompatible with our values and with corporate social responsibility.

Out of our commitment to equality, freedom, and international law, we therefore urgently request that:

• TIAA-CREF divest from companies like Elbit that:
1) Directly profit from or contribute to the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
2) Provide products or services that contribute to the construction and maintenance of Israeli settlements and/or the Separation Wall, both of which are illegal under international law.
3) Provide products or services that contribute to or enable violent acts that target civilians.

• TIAA-CREF establish investment criteria to exclude any such companies in the future.

For almost 100 years, TIAA-CREF has striven to provide financial services for the greater good, helping those in the academic, medical, cultural, and research fields to plan for and live in retirement. Please help all TIAA-CREF participants invest the fruit of their labor and enjoy their retirement in good conscience.

Sincerely,