Minnesota: State Board of Investment exploits Hortman murders to avoid Palestine protesters

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following August 29 statement from the MN Anti-War Committee. SBI stands for the State Board of Investment.

SBI Chief Investment Officer Jill Schurtz recently told a Minnesota Public Radio reporter that the quarterly SBI meeting scheduled for August 20 was postponed due to the shootings of state legislators Melissa Hortman, John Hoffman and their spouses at their homes in June. We believe this is a disingenuous exploitation of a tragedy to avoid growing public calls for Minnesota divestment from Israel.

The shootings, for which right-wing activist Vance Boelter has been indicted, took place on June 14. Schurtz also told MPR that the previous quarterly SBI meeting set for June 18 was cancelled due to the shootings. While cancelling a meeting in the immediate aftermath of the shootings is understandable, Schurtz did not explain how the shootings justified the postponement of the August SBI meeting, over two months later.

The SBI’s website had shown no change to the August 20 meeting up to July 31, when the MN Anti-War Committee posted our call for divestment advocates to “pack the room” during the meeting. Within hours, on August 1 the SBI announced the meeting was postponed until at least October, with no firm date set.

Members of the SBI like Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have appeared at many public events since the shootings. It’s clearly not a question of security. It’s a dishonest effort by the SBI to avoid its statutory requirements of holding public meetings. The SBI has shown a pattern of abruptly rescheduling and limiting access to its meetings since last December.

Since the SBI’s last meeting in March, conditions have only worsened in Gaza. Most recently, Israel has invaded Gaza City, and famine has been declared across the territory as Israel has tightened its siege. Images of skeletal Palestinian men, women and children literally starving to death have sparked outrage. Journalists continue to be assassinated, as Israel tries to cover up its monstrous acts. All of this is being propped up with funds managed by the SBI.

We will not be discouraged. Our movement is only growing. We are public workers, pension holders, and Minnesota taxpayers disgusted by Israel’s genocide in Gaza and apartheid system across Palestine. Just as Minnesota divested from apartheid South Africa, it must also divest from apartheid Israel. We will keep showing up, and if necessary, find new ways to make sure our elected officials hear our call. Stay tuned.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine