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Support Church Action on Mideast
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Progressive Portal
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Aug 12, 2004 16:40 PDT
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Peace/Shalom/Salaam buttons, magnets, bumper stickers:
http://www.progressiveportal.org/resources/buttons.html
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U.S. PRESBYTERIANS CONDEMN SEPARATION WALL, LAY GROUNDWORK
FOR SELECTIVE, TARGETED DIVESTMENT FROM COMPANIES THAT SOW HARM
[From the Presbyterian Church (USA) <http://www.pcusa.org>]
The Presbyterian Church (USA) is under fire from some quarters for
several resolutions on the Middle East recently adopted by its governing
body.
In July 2004, the General Assembly of the 2.5-million-member Protestant
denomination approved, by a vote of 471 to 34 with six abstentions, a
resolution expressing "grave alarm" over the separation wall Israel is
building in the occupied Palestinian territories and asking the United
States government to make no monetary contributions to its construction.
Another resolution, adopted by 431 to 62 with seven abstentions,
reaffirmed a previous vote calling on the Israeli government to end the
occupation of the Palestinian territories and welcomed "the
possibilities for peace contained in the 'Geneva Accord,'" the
unofficial peace proposal developed in late 2003 by a group of prominent
Israelis and Palestinians.
In addition, the second resolution instructed a church committee to
"initiate a process of phased selective divestment in multinational
corporations" whose business in Israel is found to be directly or
indirectly causing harm or suffering to innocent people, Palestinian or
Israeli. Contrary to some reports, the resolution did not call for
across-the-board investment from companies doing business in Israel. (An
earlier draft submitted to the General Assembly did propose a more
across-the-board divestment strategy, but that was tempered by the full
Assembly.)
The staff of the committee charged with developing a plan to implement
the resolution is attempting to identify the corporations that "profit
most from building settlements, from constructing the wall, and from
selling machinery that destroys Palestinian homes, vineyards and
orchards," according to a church news release. One likely target is
Caterpillar Inc., which manufactures special armored bulldozers for the
Israeli military, some of which are used to destroy Palestinian homes
and olive groves. In the 1980s, the Presbyterians helped persuade
Caterpillar to stop modifying trucks for use by the South African
military.
Even though the resolutions as a whole are moderate and the proposed
divestment plan is narrow, they have provoked a firestorm of criticism
from some supporters of Israel. To balance these attacks, send your
comments to Clifton Kirkpatrick, elected leader ("stated clerk") of the
Presbyterian General Assembly.
Take Action
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Send a message to Clifton Kirkpatrick at:
http://www.pcusa.org/form2mail/form2mail.jsp?f2name=Clifton+Kirkpatrick&subject=Israel+Divestment
If you have not already done so, send messages to Caterpiller urging the
company to stop supplying equipment for bulldozing Palestinian homes and
orchards:
http://www.progressiveportal.org/cat.html
http://www.progressiveportal.org/cat2.html
More Information
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Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) statements on the resolutions:
http://www.pcusa.org/ga216/news/ga04121.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/oga/newsstories/israel.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/interfaith/assembly.htm
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2004/04341.htm
Text of the resolution on the separation wall:
http://www.pcusa.org/interfaith/pdf/ovt04-33.pdf
(109 KB - Adobe Acrobat Reader required)
Text of the resolution calling for an end to the occupation, welcoming
the Geneva Accord, and initiating divestment plans, see:
http://www.pcusa.org/interfaith/pdf/ovt04-32.pdf
(104 KB - Adobe Acrobat Reader required)
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=454513
http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/080404/a0104faithrift.html
Text of the Geneva Accords:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=351461
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