The signatures of nearly 14,000 people pledging to boycott Hewlett Packard products were delivered to the company’s London headquarters today, on the eve of its annual general meeting.
Hewlett Packard (HP) supplies IT infrastructure to the Israeli navy and computers to the Israeli army. It also develops and maintains hand and facial recognition scanners at Israel’s checkpoints in the West Bank, the data from which is used by Israel to monitor and control the movement of Palestinians.
Hugh Lanning, Chair of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, delivered the signatures, which were contained in a letter to HP UK’s Managing Director, Andy Isherwood, and on a public pledge to boycott HP. Both had been signed by thousands of members of the public.
Mr Lanning said: “HP has a comprehensive human rights policy which includes avoiding complicity in human rights violations and regularly assessing human rights risks in the countries in which it operates.
“By aiding Israel’s army and navy, which combined to devastate Gaza last summer, HP is not only in breach of its human rights policy but also risks being seen as complicit in Israel’s war crimes.”
Mr Lanning added: “Companies which aid Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and its blockade of Gaza should urgently reconsider their business links with Israel, and we call on Hewlett Packard to divest from its Israeli military contracts. more
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