Motorola Profile
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Motorola has significant investments in Israel, including $111 million, with a portion in socially-responsible funds. The company is heavily involved in providing surveillance and telecommunications technology to Israeli military operations and settlements in the occupied West Bank, including systems that restrict Palestinian movement. Additionally, Motorola supplies equipment to U.S. border security, highlighting its role in militarization and control both in Israel and the United States.
Motorola Profile
- 1. MOTOROLA TIAA CREF investments in Motorola $111,084,458, out of which $13,344,923 are invested in socially-responsible investment funds (data as of December 31, 2009).1 What do they do? Motorola is one of the largest multinational telecommunications companies in the world, and is based in Schaumburg, Illinois. In 2008, Motorola Israels sales totaled $908,365,000.2 Motorola and its subsidiaries are involved in several different aspects of the Israeli Occupation. Perimeter Surveillance Systems around Settlements and Military Camps Motorola is extensively involved in designing and implementing surveillance systems around illegal Israeli settlements and military camps in the occupied West Bank. Motorola has created at least four surveillance systems to protect dozens of illegal Jewish-only settlements and military camps throughout the West Bank. For example, Motorola has created the Electronic Fence Radar System (EFRS), which is used as a virtual fence around dozens of Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank. 3 The fences are in fact a series of radars and thermal and optical cameras connected to settlement and military camp security forces. These fences can extend up to 700 meters outside of a settlement, and work by alerting settlement security whenever motion is detected near this area, thus preventing Palestinians from working their land adjacent to the settlements. In this way, the systems not only reinforce settlement infrastructure, but also con鍖scate additional land and further constrict freedom of movement for Palestinians. Telecommunications Equipment for the Israeli Military Motorola has a long history of providing the Israeli military with telecommunications technology. In 2000, Motorola won a $100 million contract to provide the IDF with their specially-designed Vered Harim (Mountain Rose) cellular communications system. It has been installed in a wide range of armored vehicles, and is integrated with communications systems throughout the West Bank.4 Motorola is the provider of the primary mode of communication for the Israeli military, meaning that Israeli soldierswhether operating checkpoints, 鍖ring on the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead, tear-gassing 1 College Retirement Equities Fund , Audited Schedules of Investments, Dec 31, 2009, TIAA-CREF Funds, Schedules of Investments (Unaudited), Dec 31, 2009, TIAA-CREF Life Funds, Audited Schedules of Investments, Dec 31, 2009, and TIAA Separate Account VA-1, Audited Schedule of Investments, Dec 31, 2009 2 Duns 100. (n.d.) Duns 100: Israels Largest Enterprises 2009. 3 Motorola Israel, Coalition of Women for Peace. 4 We Were Here First. Israel Venture Capital Research Centre; Israel Ministry of Defense. Jan 12, 2004. See also Wide Area Military Voice & Data Infrastructure Solutions based on COTS technology. Motorola Israel Ltd, 2008 www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
- 2. MOTOROLA nonviolent protesters, or descending on the Free Gaza Flotilla in the middle of the nightare receiving their orders via a Motorola system. Checkpoints, Security, and Control Systems Motorola owns 49% of Taldor Communications, which is a division of Israeli company Taldor. In April of 2008, Taldor Communications signed a deal with Visuals Defense Inc. (VDI), to distribute VDIs integrated security solutions in Israel.5 VDI specializes in manufacturing products such as watchtowers, motion sensors, military surveillance and communications systems, public announcement systems, and x-rays. Israels Separation Wall, checkpoints, terminals, military bases, and illegal settlements rely on these products. Furthermore, Motorola holds a 9% stake in Afcon, one of Israels largest industrial groups. Afcon manufactures metal detectors and gates which are installed in checkpoints throughout the West Bank, including the Patriarchs Cave checkpoint, the Beit Iba checkpoint, Erez Terminal, and in various locations in the Jordan Valley.6 Afcon also holds a large contract for the supply of the security system for the Jerusalem Light Rail Transport System. 7 The Jerusalem Light Rail enterprise is one of Israels more egregious projects, designed to solidify Israeli control of Jerusalem by connecting it with the illegal settlements that surround the city. Bomb Fuses Until April 2009, Motorola Israela full subsidiary of Motorola Inc was Israels leading company in the design and manufacture of electronic fuses for aircraft bombs and guided munitions, including Transportable Mountain Rose those used against civilians during the 2008-2009 assault on Gaza.8 Photo: BIG Motorola Israel sold the department that produced the fuses in April 2009, following a successful campaign to pressure the company in the US.9 Motorola at home in the US Motorolas excellence at border militarization and civilian control in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is not lost on US homeland security decision-makers and their dollars. Motorola-USA is a valued industry partner for the US Department of Homeland Securitys $15 million research institute at the University of Arizona, The Center of Excellence for Border Security and Immigration.10 Motorola also holds contracts for providing its Radio 5 Visual Defence Forms Strategic Partnership with Taldor in Israel. Visual Defence Inc. Apr 29, 2008 6 Afcon Industries Group. WhoPro鍖ts.org, Coalition of Women for Peace. 7 Jerusalem Light Rail Security. Afcon Industries Group. Breaking News. Dec 1, 2008 8 Precisely Wrong: Gaza Civilians Killed by Israeli Drone-Launched Missiles, Human Rights Watch, p 12. Jun 30, 2009 9 Moto Sells Bomb Fuse Department!, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Apr 2009 10 UA to Co-Lead DHS Center for Border Security and Immigration. UA News. February 26, 2007 www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
- 3. Frequency Identi鍖cation (RFID) technologies to DHS and Department of Defense for military, border, and immigration security utilization.11 Furthermore, just as the IDF relies on Motorola for their internal communications system, so too do US Immigration and Customs of鍖cials depend on the company for their network needs. ICE operates a national radio communication system known as the National Law Enforcement Communications Center (NLECC). NLECC is reliant on Motorola technology for their Customs Over the Horizon Network or COTHEN. 12 Previous boycotts of Motorola Motorola was previously boycotted for its dealings with South Africa under Apartheid. The company supplied the police with mobile radio transmitters used to suppress demonstrations against the government.13 Sounds familiar? Where is Motorola? Everywhere people use cell phones! You can sign up with the Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation to organize a local Motorola campaign: http://endtheoccupation.org/modinput4.php?modin=119 Global headquarters: 1303 East Algonquin Road Schaumburg, Illinois 60196 USA Telephone: +1 847 576 5000. Shareholder meetings are held annually in Chicago in May. Additional resources WhoPro鍖ts.org Hang up on Motorola! The BIG Campaign has more info on Motorola 11 See in Motorolas of鍖cial website: http://www.motorola.com/Business/US-EN/Business+Solutions/Industry +Solutions/Government/Airports+and+Seaports/RFID_Government_Solutions_US-EN 12 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Wikipedia, see under Section 8. 13 New Yorkers call for boycott of Motorola over dealings with IDF. Haaretz, Jul 23, 2009 www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org