Thank them for what? Had they decided to divest it wouldn't have affected Israel a bit. Nor would it have made Caterpillar any poorer because divestment means that their stocks would just be bought by someone else. They have been threatening for the past five years yet Caterpillar wouldn't bulge. It could have hurt the Methodist retirees though. The stock has been climbing in the past few years and last year has reached an all time high. Imagine they reinvest in a failing venture, like the West Bank for instance with its unbridled corruption and where there are no guarantees.