Thousands in Jewish Community Urge Presbyterian Church (USA) to Reject Divestment from Companies Doing Business in Israel (0.00 / 0)

— by Benjamin Surato, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

In just one week, over 12,000 Jews throughout the country have signed a "Letter in Hope" to delegates to the biennial Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly, encouraging them to embrace reconciliation and reject an anti-Israel divestment resolution. The letter calls divestment a "counterproductive proposal" that would delay action towards peace.  The letter and its thousands of signers ask the Presbyterians to "deepen our understandings of the multiple narratives in the region" and focus on positive steps including economic development, Palestinian state building, and a return to negotiations.

"The rapid outpouring of support for this letter reflects the deep and widespread opposition to divestment in the Jewish community and well beyond," said JCPA President Rabbi Steve Gutow.  "The letter points out that divestment promotes a lopsided assessment of the causes of and solutions to the conflict, disregarding the complex history and geopolitics.  Furthermore, it shamefully paints Israel as a pariah nation, solely responsible for frustrating peace. It is a blunt tool that is more likely to encourage those with more extreme aims than to foster reconciliation."

The letter is sponsored by the JCPA and the Israel Action Network, an initiative of the Jewish Federations of North America in partnership with the JCPA.

"The letter's message of hope resonates within the Jewish community" continued Gutow, "mobilizing community relations councils in towns and cities across the country and spreading online through social media. It is clear - Jews are united in the quest for peace and our opposition to divestment."

"This letter represents the Jewish community's values of friendship and hope," said JCPA Chair Larry Gold. "Peace is our mutual goal. Divestment is the wrong means for achieving it. We are reaching out to our friends in the PCUSA and asking that they not let this misguided policy compromise our relationship. Peace requires cooperative efforts to foster coexistence, not distrust."

The "Letter in Hope" builds on a letter signed by 1,300 Rabbis, covering the entire political and religious spectrum, sent to the PCUSA earlier this summer.  A similar letter was sent to the delegates to the United Methodist Church before their General Conference last month at which a similar divestment resolution was defeated by a 2-1 margin.

"We hope that with this even broader request for productive peacemaking without divestment will yield similar results in the Presbyterian Church (USA)," said Gold.

-- Dan Loeb, publisher@pjvoice.com

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by: Publisher @ Sun Jul 01, 2012 at 14:42:07 PM UTC