Radical anti-Israel activists are taking a victory lap after the Washington State Treasurer’s Office sold tens of millions of dollars in Caterpillar bonds, but state officials say the move had nothing to do with political pressure.
In a press release issued March 17, the activist coalition “Cut Ties with Genocide,” which includes Washington for Peace and Justice and Jewish Voice for Peace–Seattle, celebrated the sale as a win for their campaign to push governments to divest from companies doing business with Israel.
The group claimed the Treasurer’s Office sold approximately $53 million in Caterpillar investments following advocacy efforts and changes to the state’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards.
“We are grateful to the Treasurer’s office for taking this step,” said organizer Diana Fakhoury, calling it “a major victory for Washingtonians of conscience.”
Activists argue that Caterpillar equipment has been used by the Israeli military in Gaza and the West Bank and have long pushed for divestment campaigns targeting the company.
Jewish Voice for Peace, a prominent anti-Zionist organization involved in the coalition, has been a leading force behind such efforts nationwide. A 2025 report by StandWithUs accused JVP of promoting an extremist anti-Israel agenda and argued that its activism goes beyond policy criticism to supporting efforts that would dismantle the Jewish state. According to the report, JVP has participated in events or campaigns alongside groups such as Samidoun, which has been sanctioned by the US and Canada for ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated terrorist organization. The report further alleges support for campaigns involving individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses.
Washington Representative Darya Farivar and State Senator Yasmin Trudeau introduced the “Responsible Investment Act” during the 2026 legislative session, a proposal backed by activist groups that sought to steer state investments away from companies accused of human rights violations. Many accused the pair of introducing the legislation specifically to target Israel.
🧵If Washington state Democratic Rep. Darya Farivar@Darya4House thinks bombing Iran was a bad idea, you know the US & Israel did the right thing.
She is a shill for Hamas and a supporter of the Iranian terrorist regime pic.twitter.com/yHGtaedBAc
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) June 22, 2025
The bill ultimately failed to advance out of committee during the short session, but it drew notable support, with 33 co-sponsors in the House and 11 in the Senate. Farivar has established a pattern of positions and legislative efforts that consistently target Israel. This session, she also introduced HB 2293, a bill that would prohibit Washington law enforcement agencies from participating in training or exchanges with foreign military, intelligence, or security services, a measure widely viewed as effectively targeting Israel, a longstanding partner in counterterrorism training. Farivar has also publicly framed Israel as a source of harm in the Middle East; following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, she expressed “heartbreak” for Iranians and criticized Israel and the United States, while omitting mention of Iran’s role in regional instability and support for terrorism.
Farivar hates Israel & the US & supports Hamas and the Iranian terror regime. She advocates for the trans agenda, ignoring that her terrorist buddies throw LGBTQ people off roofs pic.twitter.com/T3iJ0Dr2BC
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) June 22, 2025
In the previous session, Farivar sponsored HB 1412, which proposed creating a Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Commission to elevate representation for MENA communities in Washington. While the bill highlighted contributions from groups such as Syrians, Lebanese, and Palestinians, it notably did not include Jews or Israelis.
Farivar is in deep with @CAIRWashington, a branch of Hamas in the US that was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holyland Foundation trial, the largest terror case in the US
She supported its head @imraansiddiqi, a terror supporter's failed run for office pic.twitter.com/TUcvwpROln
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) June 22, 2025
Farivar has ties to the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization that was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holyland Foundation trial, the largest terror case in the US. She previously supported the local chapter’s head, Imraan Siddiqi, who has recently scrubbed his social media of antisemitic and anti-Israel posts, in his failed run for Congress, and is supporting him again in a campaign for the state legislature.
She is also an ally of @ramialkabra who scuffled with Israelis the day of the Oct 7 terror attacks and a radical anti-Israel activist. She was one of the reps to vote against giving police back the ability to pursue criminal suspects & do their job pic.twitter.com/nmC0SRDCAp
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) June 22, 2025
Trudeau defended the violent 2024 pro-Hamas encampment at the University of Washington, describing it as “peaceful” and urging university leadership to accommodate protesters’ demands, including calls for divestment from companies tied to Israel. The protests, including vandalism, antisemitic graffiti, and confrontations in which Jewish students were harassed or blocked from parts of campus.
🧵EXCLUSIVE: WA Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-HAMAS) asked @UW to keep the violent antisemitic 2024 Gaza encampment in the Quad calling it a "peaceful demonstration" the day after footage went viral of Jews being discriminated against on campus
She has a long history of antisemitism pic.twitter.com/BIM7Xccwug
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) May 9, 2025
She has previously posted anti-Israel and pro-Hamas content on social media, but following public backlash, she deleted her X account, possibly in violation of the law. Trudeau also rescinded her endorsement of fellow Democrat State Sen. Emily Randall in her congressional bid after Randall fired a staffer for liking pro-Hamas content online.
She previously defended Palestinian terrorists leading to the deletion of her official X account after her hate was exposed & after possibly violating laws regarding social media accounts. It was filled with posts supporting terror & not calling for the return of hostages pic.twitter.com/TeV7E81GF3
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) May 9, 2025
Trudeau has also been prominently featured alongside antisemitic figures in panels for CAIR.
Trudeau has been featured at events with some of the biggest Jew-haters in the world as part of her partnership with terrorist linked @CAIRNational including Linda Sarsour who was bounced from the Women's March for antisemitism pic.twitter.com/xj4tVerZgm
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) May 9, 2025
Neither politician’s office responded to requests for comment; however, the Washington State Treasurer’s Office is disputing the activists’ characterization of events.
In a statement to The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, Communications Director Aaron T. Sherman said the bond sales were routine financial decisions tied to liquidity management and portfolio adjustments, not activism.
According to the Treasurer’s Office, approximately $62 million in Caterpillar bonds were sold across three transactions beginning in November 2025. Two of those sales involved bonds nearing maturity, while the remainder were part of a broader year-end portfolio review.
“These actions were taken to generate appropriate liquidity and to reallocate investments in accordance with the Treasury Investment team’s approved 2026 corporate bond portfolio,” Sherman said.
The office emphasized that its investment strategy is focused on “preserving capital, managing risk, and ensuring sufficient liquidity,” noting that the corporate bond portfolio represents only a small portion of total state assets.
Officials also pointed out that the transactions resulted in a “moderate market value gain” and were consistent with standard investment practices, not political demands.
