Gary Fitleberg, December 12, 2004

A grass roots Presbyterian group this week urged the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. (PCUSA) to reverse its June decision to divest church funds from certain companies which do business with Israel.

The group, Presbyterians Concerned for Jewish & Christian Relations (PCJCR), issued a statement in reaction to a July resolution issued by PCUSA's governing body, the General Assembly Council, to "initiate a process of phased selective divestment in multinational corporations doing business in Israel."

"While we believe that divestment can be a useful tool for social change, it is wrong to single out Israel as the object of a divestment policy when other states and parties in the region are also guilty of serious human rights violations that can and must be addressed," the group said, adding that the decision has created tension between and among the Presbyterian and Jewish communities.

"It is well known that the General Assembly's action created a great deal of anger in the Jewish community. What is not as well known is the anger the action created within the PCUSA," said John Wimberly, a PCJCR steering committee member.

The PCJCR reiterated its support for a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"We believe that a large majority of Israelis and Palestinians prefer peace with their neighbors, rather than violence and war, and are ready to make hard sacrifices to achieve it," the group said.

The PCJCR will call upon the GAC to postpone any decisions on divestment from Israel until its next meeting, scheduled for March 2005.

In the interim, the group called for a moratorium on shareholder actions and other steps related to the divestment decision until the Church's next full General Assembly meeting in 2006.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2004 Gary Fitleberg