Presbyterian Church amends Mideast policy
Church's national assembly agrees to new statement that says Presbyterian holdings pertaining to both Israel and Palestinian territory should 'be invested in only peaceful pursuits'
To vigorous applause, delegates agreed to a new statement that says Presbyterian holdings pertaining to both Israel and Palestinian territory should "be invested in only peaceful pursuits."
The 2004 assembly authorized "phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel" because of its policies toward Palestinians. Jewish organizations had criticized that action as unfairly one-sided but were content with the new wording.
David Bernstein of the American Jewish Committee's Washington office, who is observing the assembly, said the resolution "subjects Israel to the same process as every other country in the world. That's what we wanted. Singling out Israel is not the way to approach peace in the Middle East."
Mark Pelavin, director of interreligious affairs for Reform Judaism, said the revision "is a critical step toward removing an ugly stain on the church's history of fighting for peace and justice."
'Security wall illegally encroaches into Palestinian territory'
Presbyterians haven't yet pulled any investments but talked with five corporations involved in Israel: Caterpillar, Citigroup Inc., Industries Inc., Motorola and United Technologies Corp.
Conservatives sponsored a talk by lay Presbyterian James Woolsey, a CIA director under President Clinton. He said the 2004 action put his church "clearly on the side of theocratic, totalitarian, anti-Semitic, genocidal beliefs, and nothing less."
The statement approved 483-28 also urges an end to terror against both Israelis and Palestinians. It says a sovereign state has the right to protect its borders but said the present location of Israel's security wall "illegally encroaches into the Palestinian territory."
Later, after intense debate, delegates voted 381 to 117 to shift church policy on abortion by declaring that "viable unborn babies — those well-developed enough to survive outside the womb if delivered — ought to be preserved and cared for and not aborted." The denomination's choice-oriented women's committee said that would "undo" years of work on this issue.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center applauded the Presbyterian Church's move to replace its anti-Israel divestment resolution with one of positive investment in projects promoting peace and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians.
“We hope that this will mark a turning point in ending the unjust campaign by churches, academic groups and NGOs to demonize Israel,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Center, one of the largest Jewish human rights NGOs. “We are also encouraged by the fact this dramatic change came about as the result of the activism of leaders within PCUSA, some of whom traveled recently to the Holy Land and put a human face on the suffering and struggle of the people of Israel."
The Wiesenthal Center has been in the forefront of the struggle against anti-Israel campaigns, first launched at the infamous UN Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa in September 2001.
