Presbyterian Church USA votes to divest from companies supplying Israel

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation : Victory! United Methodist Conferences, representing thousands of churches, vote to Divest!

DETROIT-In a landmark and highly charged measure that already has been fraying Jewish-Presbyterian ties, the legislative body of the nation’‍s largest Presbyterian denomination narrowly voted Friday to shed investments in three American corporations linked to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

Columbia student representatives from a wide array of organizations show their support for a divestment campaign.

By a 310-303 margin, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted on the measure after about three hours of tense but restrained debate on either side of a dinner break.

Recent victories in the global boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israeli apartheid have opened up new possibilities for the movement.

The denomination has only a small fraction of its market capitalization, about $21 million, in assets in the three companies, so the measure is largely symbolic. While the measure affirmed Israel’s right to exist and explicitly distanced it from a broader campaign to target Israel with economic boycotts, sanctions and divestments, advocates say it still unfairly blames Israel for the Middle East standoff.

Support for the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign is crucial to ending decades of Israeli oppression

The Presbyterian assembly voted to shed its shares in Caterpillar, which provides heavy equipment that Israel used to demolish Palestinians’ homes and build roads for illegal settlements. It also is divesting from Motorola Solutions and Hewlett Packard, which provide high-technology products and services that Israeli settlers and security forces used.

Campaign volunteers

“We’ve tried to change the products and processes of these corporations in which we are invested and which are causing human hurt,” said Elizabeth Terry Dunning, chairwoman of the denomination’s Mission Responsibility Through Investment, but she said the corporations haven’‍t changed and “in some cases deepened their involvement.”

Rabbi Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which represents a broad spectrum of Jewish advocacy groups, said in a statement the vote would “undoubtedly have a devastating impact” on the church’‍s relations with mainstream Jewish groups. “We hold the leadership of the PCUSA accountable for squandering countless opportunities, not only to act responsibly to advance prospects for Middle East peace but also to isolate and repudiate the radical, prejudiced voices in their denomination.”

South Africa`s ANC at its 53rd National Conference, reaffirmed a resolution supporting the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign.

“God’s children are on all sides of this conflict, and the world needs a reconciled and reconciling Presbyterian Church,” he said. Divestment would “provoke more dissension in an already troubled and divided church.”
Dries Coetzee, a church representative from Ohio, said divestment would benefit Israelis the same way it benefited him as a native-white South African when Presbyterians and others pressured his homeland to end apartheid.