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US ‘very troubled’ by Norway’s divestment from Caterpillar over Israeli abuses
President Trump’s administration has said it’s “very troubled” by the Norway’s wealth fund’s decision to divest from US construction equipment group Caterpillar on ethical grounds related to Israel’s war on Gaza.
“We are very troubled by the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund’s decision, which appears to be based on illegitimate claims against Caterpillar and the Israeli government,” a US State Department spokesperson said, according to the Reuters news agency.
“We are engaging directly with the Norwegian government on this matter,” the official added.
In late August, Norway’s $2 trillion wealth fund, the world’s largest, announced it had divested from five Israeli banking groups, as well as Caterpillar Inc, on ethical grounds.
The five banks were excluded “due to an unacceptable risk that the companies contribute to serious violations of the rights of individuals in situations of war and conflict”, the fund said in a statement.
It also said Caterpillar’s products, such as bulldozers, were being used by Israeli authorities “to commit extensive and systematic violations of international humanitarian law” such as the “widespread unlawful destruction of Palestinian property”.
An Israeli armoured Caterpillar D9 bulldozer manoeuvres near the Israel-Gaza fence on April 10, 2024
Nelson Mandela’s grandson says Palestinians suffering ‘worse form of apartheid’ than Black South Africans did
Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, has said the hardship facing Palestinians under Israeli occupation exceeds even that suffered by Black South Africans during apartheid.
Speaking to the Reuters news agency on Wednesday, Mandela, 51, said “many of us that have visited the occupied territories in Palestine have only come back with one conclusion: That the Palestinians are experiencing a far worse form of apartheid than we ever experienced.
“We believe that the global community has to continue supporting the Palestinians, just as they stood side by side with us,” he added.
Mandela gave the comments as he prepared to board a flight to Tunisia to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, aimed to deliver food and humanitarian supplies to Gaza. He is among 10 South African activists travelling with the flotilla, which includes dozens of boats and hundreds of people from 44 countries, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
South Africa’s African National Congress said the flotilla’s mission “echoes our own struggle for liberation”.
Mandla Mandela prepares to board a flight to Tunisia to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, September 3
