Minute on Becoming an HP-free Church (Approved August 11, 2019)

“Look upon our treasure, the furniture of our houses, and our garments, and try whether the seeds of war have nourishment in these our possessions.”  – John Woolman

As Quakers opposed to all wars and who affirm the essential equality and dignity of all people, we take a moral stand against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories [as defined by international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law https://www.btselem.org/international_law] and the companies which profit from the suffering of others there.

Hewlett Packard manufactures and supplies the biometric identification technologies that limit Palestinian movement and identifies them as targets for other forms of discrimination. Hewlett Packard is the largest IT supplier to the Israeli military and is profiting from the oppression of the Palestinian people.

We have carefully deliberated and educated ourselves on the situation in Israel and Palestine, and we are taking this public stand by signing onto the HP-Free Church pledge: https://www.fosna.org/apartheid-free-worship, agreeing that as a Meeting we will boycott all Hewlett-Packard products and refuse to invest in Hewlett-Packard as long as it continues the practice of supplying tools of oppression to the Israeli government.

We encourage all Quakers to join us in renouncing complicity in this occupation and taking a moral stand against the occupation in whatever ways they discern.