Divesting from the Killing Fields of Gaza

Like many Jews, I can trace my commitment to working for global peace and justice to the Nazi-led Holocaust. The horrors visited upon Jews through state-sanctioned terrorism, ghettos, murder squads, and concentration camps were and are indefensible, and it is incumbent on us, the children and grandchildren of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust, to make sure that these crimes never happen again. And yet they are happening again, shamefully led by extremists running the state of Israel. American Jews can no longer remain silent.

For those who confuse criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with antisemitism, allow me to clarify my views. I believe that Palestinian leadership also has been abysmal for the last generation, especially Hamas. I believe that almost all the nations in the Middle East, including the Palestinians, have also committed grotesque human rights abuses. I believe that Israel has a right to exist but also a duty to incorporate Palestinians living in Israel proper and in occupied territories as full Israeli citizens. (I have ideas about how to reconstruct Israel as a decentralized confederation like Switzerland, with Jewish and Arab states, but that’s an essay for another issue.)

I believe that Israel had a right to respond forcefully to the October 7 attacks. What Israel did not have a right to do after October 7 is to kill ten percent of the people living in Gaza, the vast majority of whom were noncombatants, through indiscriminate bombing, shelling, demolition, and planned starvation. Whether or not one thinks this qualifies as genocide, the destruction of Gaza clearly violates international legal principles of proportionality and avoiding civilian deaths. So do repeated acts of preventing aid from reaching Gazan victims of war. Anyone complicit in these war crimes—whether Israeli leaders, American enablers, or corporate suppliers—should be held responsible. That, for me, is the lesson of the Holocaust.

This month’s interview is with Ari Rosenberg, one of the founders of the Jewish Investor Network. JIN has now involved Jewish-American investors, foundations, and organizers committing to stopping these war crimes by divesting from U.S. corporations supplying weapons, logistics, and other support to the Israeli military. Thus far, as you’ll read, their efforts have involved letters and shareholder resolutions. It’s an uphill effort, but one I hope you’ll consider supporting. And one that demonstrates the potential power of investment for global change.

Also in this issue—our first after a much-needed summer break—are our latest listings of opportunities for you to invest in cutting-edge local businesses and local funds. Please look them over and use them.

- Michael H. Shuman, Publisher

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MS: Ari, thanks for talking with us today. Tell us a little about your organization, the Jewish Investor Network (JIN): What is its mission? And what are its primary activities?

AR: JIN is a peer network that brings together Jewish investors committed to human rights, justice, and collective action. Our work has two interconnected pieces: We build community and leadership among progressive Jewish investors, and we use our collective voice externally in our advocacy work. Members explore how to integrate Jewish values into our investment decisions, while creating a world where all people can flourish.

MS: Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you personally get involved in this work?

AR: I’m one of the founders of the network and currently a member of the steering committee. I’m also a financial advisor with Chicory Wealth, which has long been interested in supporting progressive investors in shareholder advocacy. While Chicory Wealth is not legally affiliated with JIN, the firm is a strong supporter of my work and JIN’s mission. As an investment advisor, I have been disappointed to see ESG portfolios ignore corporate behavior that supports, directly or indirectly, Israeli human rights violations in occupied territories. Many Jews like me hope our collective voice can exert greater influence on corporations that are currently supporting a genocide in Palestine.

MS: So how did the organization come together?

AR: The idea for the Jewish Investor Network was planted at the Center for Economic Democracy’s Movement Finance Forum in June 2025. A small group of Jewish participants concluded that a strong, values-driven network to organize and represent progressive Jewish investors was needed in order to be more successful in holding companies responsible for their actions in the occupied territories.

MS: In May, JIN issued a public letter on behalf of 80 Jewish investors—representing over $15 billion in assets—supporting a shareholder resolution at PayPal. Specifically, it calls for PayPal to grant full access to Palestinians to use its services. How has the proposal fared?

AR: At PayPal’s Annual Meeting, our proposal received 11.2% shareholder support, which is meaningful for a first-time resolution. It told us that a significant group of investors believes PayPal should operate in Palestine. We have since reached out to PayPal, along with our campaign partners and other Jewish institutional PayPal investors, but have not yet gotten a response. We will continue to keep the pressure on.

MS: One of the points in the public letter is that Jews, historically, have created free-loan societies to serve distressed communities. Can you elaborate on this argument?

AR: Jewish free-loan societies have helped Jewish Americans purchase homes, go to school, and access capital at very low—often zero percent—interest rates. Access to capital is an incredible wealth-building tool and has helped support Jews from all kinds of class backgrounds to achieve financial stability. By cutting off access to capital for Palestinians, PayPal is preventing them from achieving similar economic stability. They have effectively enacted a discriminatory exclusion that treats Palestinians differently than Israelis. We uplifted the Jewish free loan societies in our letter to PayPal’s board to demonstrate that economic liberation is a longstanding Jewish value.

MS: Are there other publicly traded companies that JIN intends to target besides PayPal? Or governments?

AR: JIN is currently working on an education campaign in collaboration with the Purge Palantir campaign, which encourages public divestment from Palantir. We are holding a public webinar on September 15, in the middle of the Jewish High Holidays, to ground our support of this campaign in teshuvah—the Jewish practice of examining our transgressions. Teshuvah means that whenever we’ve missed the mark, we must recommit to living in alignment with our values. We created a guide with information about Palantir and why it is not aligned with our Jewish values. Another ritual we refer to is tashlich (traditionally done on Rosh Hashanah, involving symbolically casting sins into moving water), asking participants to reflect on unjust systems we are entangled in and examining our complicity.

Action is an important part of our work, and there will be additional campaigns focused on publicly traded companies in the future.

MS: Does JIN have a specific perspective on what a framework for reconciliation and peace in and around Israel should look like? Do you favor a two-state solution, a more democratic Israeli state, or something else?

AR: This is a question that people often ask of Jews and others who are organizing in solidarity with Palestinian. But it’s a distraction. However we answer the question, we will contribute to the current polarization. As Jewish Americans, we believe that it is not our place to decide who governs Palestine or what system of governance they have in place. We are laser-focused on universal human rights. We believe Palestinians are currently living under systems of apartheid and genocide, similar to our ancestors during the Holocaust.

As Jewish investors, we are driven by the concept that every person is created b’tzelem elohim, in the image of God. We imagine a world where no one is forced to live under such oppression, and stand by the principle that all have the right to live with dignity and in safety—which includes a free Palestine.

MS: What other projects, consistent with your goals, do you think creative investors can and should lead in the Middle East?

AR: So far JIN’s shareholder advocacy has focused on U.S. companies that our members hold shares in. Unfortunately, many of those companies are allowing their technologies to be used to perpetuate genocide and apartheid in the region. We want to pressure these companies to respect human rights consistent with their own policies. In the case of PayPal, we’re calling on them to end discriminatory exclusion of Palestinians from their services, which violates their ethics policies.

MS: How can The Main Street Journal readers interested in your work get involved in your work?

AR: Anyone interested in joining the Jewish Investor Network is invited to fill out our contact form. A real live human will contact you to share more about becoming a member and answer any questions you may have. If you would like to support our work financially, but not join as a member, we welcome that as well. You can donate here or by contacting JIN.

MS: Finally, as you know, our audience is passionate about local investing. So how do you personally invest locally?

AR: I live on the unceded land of the Occaneechi-Saponi, Eno, and Shakori people. I think it is important to invest in the local indigenous communities, including supporting the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation and 7 Directions of Service. I’m also committed to expanding the Jewish community rooted in collective liberation, investing both time and financial resources in Makom and Jewish Voice for Peace - Triangle. I’m also on the board of Transplanting Traditions Community Farm and have had the honor of knowing many of the farmers and staff for almost a decade.

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