Dear [Chair/Trustee’s Name], Chair of the Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund Board,

I am writing as a concerned Berkshire resident and [as a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme, if applicable] regarding the investment portfolio of the Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund. I urge you and the entire board to fulfil your fiduciary and ethical duties by divesting the fund from companies that are complicit in Israel's violations of international law and Palestinian human rights.

The purpose of a pension fund is to provide long-term security for its members. However, this duty is not met by investing in companies whose operations are entangled with serious legal and reputational risks. Investing in firms that are involved in the illegal occupation of Palestine—whether through supplying military hardware, operating in illegal settlements, or providing infrastructure for the occupation—exposes our pension fund to significant long-term risks, including:

Legal Risk: The prospect of future legal challenges and sanctions against companies profiting from activities deemed illegal under international law.

Reputational Risk: Damage to the fund's reputation by association with well-documented human rights abuses, which can impact stakeholder confidence.

Divestment Risk: The growing global movement for divestment, which can lead to a decline in the value of these holdings as other major investors pull out.

The Israeli government's actions, including the siege of Gaza—described by the UN as "collective punishment"—and the continued construction of illegal settlements, are a source of profound and ongoing instability. Profiting from this situation is not only unethical but is an increasingly imprudent investment strategy.

As trustees of a fund for public servants, you have a duty to act in a manner that reflects the values of those members and the community they serve. It is unconscionable that their retirement funds could be profiting from the oppression of the Palestinian people.

Therefore, I call on the Board of the Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund to take the following actions:

Commission a Fully Transparent Audit:
Conduct and publish a comprehensive review of all fund assets to identify holdings in companies complicit in violations of international law in Occupied Palestine.

Develop an Exclusionary Screen:
Instruct your fund managers to create and apply a screen to exclude any company that is found to be complicit in these human rights abuses from the fund's portfolio.

Divest from Complicit Companies:
Begin a phased but time-bound process of divesting from all identified companies and publicly report on your progress.

Adopt a Robust Human Rights Policy:
Formalise a comprehensive human rights policy for all future investments, ensuring our fund does not contribute to similar situations elsewhere in the world.

Acting on this is a matter of both sound financial stewardship and profound ethical responsibility.

I look forward to receiving a response detailing the steps the Board will take to address this critical issue.

Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address, including Postcode]
[Your Pension Scheme Number, if applicable]