Gary Fitleberg, February 19, 2005

A recent poll by the Presbyterian Church USA shows lay members oppose the leadership’s decision to divest from Israel.

Some 42 percent of members and 46 percent of elders oppose "selective phased divestment," which was approved by the church’s General Assembly in July. Some 28 percent of members and 30 percent of elders supported the move, according to a survey taken in November 2004 and released this month. However, pastors favor divestment by 48 percent to 43 percent. More of the pastors and clergy were aware of the decision than the lay members, who mostly were unaware.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations welcomed the findings. "We hope church leaders will be guided by the sentiments reflected in their own poll. These statistics support much anecdotal evidence that the decision to launch a divestment campaign against Israel was not seriously debated at their General Assembly, but was adopted with little thought to its inherent political bias," the group said in a statement.

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

Copyright © 2005 Gary Fitleberg