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Presbyterians here vote to invest, not divest, in Israel
By: MARILYN H. KARFELD, Senior Staff Reporter
A mainstream Protestant church here has won kudos from Jewish community leaders for urging its national governing body to invest in Israel.
The resolution responds to Jewish concerns over the divestment strategy passed in July 2004 by the Presbyterian Church USA.
This week, the Presbytery of the Western Reserve, an umbrella organization of 52 Presbyterian churches in Northeast Ohio, passed an “overture” asking its parent organization to invest in businesses and nonprofit groups in Israel that promote peace, justice and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.
The overture also encourages Presbyterian congregations to develop projects locally and in the Middle East that foster dialogue between Jewish and Palestinian American communities and promote peace, says the Rev. Louise Westfall of Fairmount Presbyterian Church. While not unanimous, the approximately 150 voting representatives passed the overture by a “substantial” margin, adds Westfall.
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA, which sets policy for the Protestant denomination, will consider the resolution among others when it meets this summer for its biennial conference.
Presbyterians stunned Jews when delegates at the last General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to explore divesting from certain corporations doing business in Israel. The church said it would aim the economic sanctions at corporations contributing to violence in the region and the suffering of innocent Palestinians or Israelis, particularly in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Jews called the proposed divestment strategy, along with a resolution condemning Israel’s security barrier, one-sided and unfair.
The local overture will be one of 27 resolutions on the divestment issue, both pro and con, says Westfall. “Our overture calls on the GA to move from a divestment strategy to a strategy of investment.”
However, the proposed strategy of selective investment in entities promoting peace and justice is “definitely a trend” within the church, she says. “The (divestment proposal of 2004) sent shock waves not only in the Jewish community but also across the Presbyterian church.”
To date, the Presbyterians have not sold any stock held in corporations because of their Israeli connections, says the Rev. Liza Hendricks, general presbyter of the Presbytery of the Western Reserve. But the church group has held “conversations” with five corporations, urging them to rethink their business dealings in Israel and the West Bank.
The Presbyterians have met with Caterpillar, Motorola, ITT Industries, United Technologies and Citigroup, according to the church’s website. ITT, for instance, supplies the Israeli military with communications, electronic and night-vision equipment used in the occupied territories.
In an effort to be even-handed, the church investment committee added Citicorp to the list of targeted corporations. Citicorp has been accused of helping Islamic charities funnel money to families of Palestinian suicide bombers.
Any divestment action would first have to be brought to the General Assembly, notes Hendricks. The church committee on Mission Responsibility through Investment has announced it would not bring any divestment recommendations to this summer’s assembly. In effect, that means the church could not sell any of its stock in these corporations for several years, Hendricks says.
However, the church is currently talking to the five targeted companies about ways “they are impeding the peacemaking process or contributing to Palestinian suffering or abrogation of rights,” Westfall says. Withdrawal of funds from these companies would only be a last resort, she adds.
Westfall was among 18 clergy and lay leaders — Jewish, Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal — who traveled to Israel February 19 - 28 on a trip sponsored by the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland. The trip contributed to passage of the investment overture, Westfall says.
Seeing groups like Seeds for Peace, which among other projects sponsors a US summer camp for Jewish and Palestinian youth, helped the group realize the possibilities for supporting peace efforts, Westfall says.
Meetings in Israel with 15 different individuals or groups with a broad spectrum of perspectives, from government officials, clerics, academicians and social workers to Palestinians, provided new insights, she adds.
Furthermore, Palestinians were “lukewarm at best” about the chances of divestment helping them, Westfall says. One Palestinian government official told the group, “If you want to help us, contribute through our stock market, help small businesses in Palestine.” Another said, “Punishing Israel would be less effective than supporting Palestinian investment.”
The Jewish community has held meetings with its Presbyterian counterparts for 18 months, says David Millstone, immediate past regional board chair of the Anti-Defamation League. Initially, there was a lot of discussion so they could understand why Jews were so upset about the decision to explore divestment.
“I brought out why I felt it was anti-Semitic,” Millstone says. “After that, we found (investment) would be a constructive approach. Invest in peace rather than divest from Israel.”
While Westfall notes that “the jury is still out” on whether economic pressure is an effective tool of social change, the Presbyterian church’s divestment proposal did encourage other Protestant groups to look at such economic sanctions.
The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland welcomes the Presbyterian resolution, said Eric Bell, chair of the group’s Community Relations Committee, in a written statement.
“Our common goal is the realization of a just and lasting peace, to end suffering and to restore dignity and security to all.”
“I am ecstatic that they have chosen to pass this overture,” says John Hexter, executive director of the Cleveland chapter of the American Jewish Committee. “This is the best possible news.
“Divesting in stock is meaningless,” he adds. “It doesn’t help the Palestinians.”
Instead, Hexter suggested the Presbyterians look to invest in companies involved in building roads and sewers and other infrastructure and development projects that hire Palestinians to work in Israel. While perhaps a little riskier, there are mutual funds that allow those types of investments, Hexter explains.
“They can find avenues where making investment is sound fiduciary practice and will also help promote social justice.”
mkarfeld@cjn.org
The resolution responds to Jewish concerns over the divestment strategy passed in July 2004 by the Presbyterian Church USA.
This week, the Presbytery of the Western Reserve, an umbrella organization of 52 Presbyterian churches in Northeast Ohio, passed an “overture” asking its parent organization to invest in businesses and nonprofit groups in Israel that promote peace, justice and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.
The overture also encourages Presbyterian congregations to develop projects locally and in the Middle East that foster dialogue between Jewish and Palestinian American communities and promote peace, says the Rev. Louise Westfall of Fairmount Presbyterian Church. While not unanimous, the approximately 150 voting representatives passed the overture by a “substantial” margin, adds Westfall.
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA, which sets policy for the Protestant denomination, will consider the resolution among others when it meets this summer for its biennial conference.
Presbyterians stunned Jews when delegates at the last General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to explore divesting from certain corporations doing business in Israel. The church said it would aim the economic sanctions at corporations contributing to violence in the region and the suffering of innocent Palestinians or Israelis, particularly in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Jews called the proposed divestment strategy, along with a resolution condemning Israel’s security barrier, one-sided and unfair.
The local overture will be one of 27 resolutions on the divestment issue, both pro and con, says Westfall. “Our overture calls on the GA to move from a divestment strategy to a strategy of investment.”
However, the proposed strategy of selective investment in entities promoting peace and justice is “definitely a trend” within the church, she says. “The (divestment proposal of 2004) sent shock waves not only in the Jewish community but also across the Presbyterian church.”
To date, the Presbyterians have not sold any stock held in corporations because of their Israeli connections, says the Rev. Liza Hendricks, general presbyter of the Presbytery of the Western Reserve. But the church group has held “conversations” with five corporations, urging them to rethink their business dealings in Israel and the West Bank.
The Presbyterians have met with Caterpillar, Motorola, ITT Industries, United Technologies and Citigroup, according to the church’s website. ITT, for instance, supplies the Israeli military with communications, electronic and night-vision equipment used in the occupied territories.
In an effort to be even-handed, the church investment committee added Citicorp to the list of targeted corporations. Citicorp has been accused of helping Islamic charities funnel money to families of Palestinian suicide bombers.
Any divestment action would first have to be brought to the General Assembly, notes Hendricks. The church committee on Mission Responsibility through Investment has announced it would not bring any divestment recommendations to this summer’s assembly. In effect, that means the church could not sell any of its stock in these corporations for several years, Hendricks says.
However, the church is currently talking to the five targeted companies about ways “they are impeding the peacemaking process or contributing to Palestinian suffering or abrogation of rights,” Westfall says. Withdrawal of funds from these companies would only be a last resort, she adds.
Westfall was among 18 clergy and lay leaders — Jewish, Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal — who traveled to Israel February 19 - 28 on a trip sponsored by the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland. The trip contributed to passage of the investment overture, Westfall says.
Seeing groups like Seeds for Peace, which among other projects sponsors a US summer camp for Jewish and Palestinian youth, helped the group realize the possibilities for supporting peace efforts, Westfall says.
Meetings in Israel with 15 different individuals or groups with a broad spectrum of perspectives, from government officials, clerics, academicians and social workers to Palestinians, provided new insights, she adds.
Furthermore, Palestinians were “lukewarm at best” about the chances of divestment helping them, Westfall says. One Palestinian government official told the group, “If you want to help us, contribute through our stock market, help small businesses in Palestine.” Another said, “Punishing Israel would be less effective than supporting Palestinian investment.”
The Jewish community has held meetings with its Presbyterian counterparts for 18 months, says David Millstone, immediate past regional board chair of the Anti-Defamation League. Initially, there was a lot of discussion so they could understand why Jews were so upset about the decision to explore divestment.
“I brought out why I felt it was anti-Semitic,” Millstone says. “After that, we found (investment) would be a constructive approach. Invest in peace rather than divest from Israel.”
While Westfall notes that “the jury is still out” on whether economic pressure is an effective tool of social change, the Presbyterian church’s divestment proposal did encourage other Protestant groups to look at such economic sanctions.
The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland welcomes the Presbyterian resolution, said Eric Bell, chair of the group’s Community Relations Committee, in a written statement.
“Our common goal is the realization of a just and lasting peace, to end suffering and to restore dignity and security to all.”
“I am ecstatic that they have chosen to pass this overture,” says John Hexter, executive director of the Cleveland chapter of the American Jewish Committee. “This is the best possible news.
“Divesting in stock is meaningless,” he adds. “It doesn’t help the Palestinians.”
Instead, Hexter suggested the Presbyterians look to invest in companies involved in building roads and sewers and other infrastructure and development projects that hire Palestinians to work in Israel. While perhaps a little riskier, there are mutual funds that allow those types of investments, Hexter explains.
“They can find avenues where making investment is sound fiduciary practice and will also help promote social justice.”
mkarfeld@cjn.org
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