Model Letter to University Procurement Depts

Dear Sir/Madam

We are writing to you to ask you to refuse Eden Springs a contract to supply bottled water coolers to 41 of Scotland's Higher and Further Education institutions, including our own, on the grounds of this company’s involvement in violations of international law.

Eden Springs is part of an Israeli company which flagrantly violates international law by ‘illegally utilising’ the water resources of an area known as the Golan Heights, Syrian territory illegally occupied by Israel since June 1967. Security Council resolution 242 emphasised "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war" and called for the "withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied".

Eden Springs is not just a silent partner in violations of international law, it is itself the active violator: “Illegal utilization of water resources - Article 55 of the Hague Regulations limits the right of occupying states to utilize the water sources of occupied territory. The use is limited to military needs and may not exceed past use. Use of groundwater of the Occupied Territories in the settlements does not meet these criteria and therefore breaches article 55.” Israeli Human Rights Group, B’Tselem www.btselem.org

Eden Springs Ltd bottles, markets and distributes the water from the Golan Heights, an illegally Occupied Territory, for profit and so is directly complicit, with the state of Israel, in the violation of international law.

There is, of course, no question of the water we buy being that same water illegally extracted from the Golan Heights: nevertheless, we believe that criminal behaviour by a company violates [insert the name of your institution here]’s commitment to ethical business policies and constitutes grounds for immediate termination of contract and certainly grounds for refusing to reward Eden Springs with another 2 year contract.

We urge you therefore to ensure that the Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC)does not reward Eden Springs with a new contract and that Sylvia Beswick of APUC is immediately informed that [insert the name of your institution here] will not be ordering our water coolers from Eden Springs.

Yours faithfully