TEL AVIV, September 12, 2009 (WAFA)- The U.S. pension fund giant, TIAA-CREF, confirmed in statements to the media on Friday that it divested from Africa Israel Investments, owned by Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev, earlier this year, the Israeli daily Haaretz said Saturday.

Adalah-NY , a Coalition for Justice in the Middle East,  said the statements came in response to a letter initiated by Adalah-NY and signed by TIAA-CREF clients.

The fund's investment in Africa Israel amounted to only $257,000, so the financial effect of the divestment is minimal.

Officials at Adalah-NY said that TIAA-CREF made the decision before the organization presented data on Africa Israel's activities in the West Bank.

Adalah NY noted in its press release that 'Despite the recent divestment from Africa-Israel, the new June 30 TIAA-CREF report indicates that the fund continues to invest clients' money in a number of companies supporting Israeli settlement activity including Israel Discount Bank, Cellcom Israel, Bezeq Israeli Telecommunications Corp, Bank Leumi, and Motorola, among others.'

Earlier this month the Norwegian government announced it was pulling all of its investments from Elbit Systems, which manufactures the monitoring system installed on several parts of the West Bank separation fence.

Norwegian Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen said that the decision was based on the recommendation of her ministry's council. 'We do not wish to fund companies that so directly contribute to violations of international humanitarian law,' Halvorsen was quoted as saying, explaining that the separation Wall impinged on the freedom of movement of West Bank citizens.