Blog: Judea, Samaria Boycott Resolution Passes at Presbyterian General Assembly (UPDATE)
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Caterpillar Presbyterian General Assembly Presbyterian Church Hewlett-Packard Presbyterian israel Israel Divestment Israel News Jewish Jewish News Jewish Presbyterian Jews Motorola Presbyterian Noushin Framke Peter Beinart BDS Presbyterian Israel
Presbyterian Church. Photo: Jhowey.
As the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly unfolds, and the topic of Israel is on the agenda, The Algemeiner will update our readers on continuing developments with regard to the movement within the Church to push for divestment from companies that do business with Israel, on this dedicated blog.
For the past week, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been considering a proposal to divest from three companies whose products are used by the Israeli military – Hewlett-Packard, Motorola and Caterpillar. Last night the proposal was defeated by a narrow margin as activists within the denomination moved that it be replaced with an overture that called for positive investment. This motion won by a very narrow margin, 333 to 331. In a subsequent vote the positive investment resolution passed by a more decisive margin, 369 to 290.
Twitter is alive with declarations of victory from the pro-Israel community. These declarations, however, are premature. The pro-divestment activists at the PC (USA)’s will almost invariably try to overturn this vote and put divestment in the last few sessions of the General Assembly, which ends tomorrow morning.
In other words, it ain’t over ‘till it’s over, and it ain’t over.
UPDATE: The Last Gasps
10:00am – As predicted previously, pro-BDS activists attempted to inject divestment back into the debate at the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s General Assembly being held in Pittsburgh. The attempt came in the form of a motion to reconsider yesterday’s vote that replace a proposal to divest from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola with a plan to engage in positive investment.
The motion to reconsider failed with 252 votes in favor and 415 votes against.
Another attempt to inject divestment into an overture calling for the boycott of Ahava products made in the West Bank has been ruled out of order.
It appears that divestment is dead at this current General Assembly.
10:40am – BDS proponents at the PC (USA)’s General Assembly have achieved a consolation prize of a sort — the passage of a resolution calling for the boycott of products manufactured in the West Bank. This overture passed by a margin of 457 to 180, with three abstentions. Prior to the vote, Noushin Framke, a prominent pro-Palestinian activist in the PC (USA), cited the support of Peter Beinart for the boycott of products in the West Bank.
11: 10am - The PC (USA)’s General Assembly voted down, by a wide margin, an overture declaring Israeli policies in the West Bank “apartheid.” Seventy-two percent (463) of the delegates voted in favor of a committee recommendation to disapprove the resolution. Twenty-seven percent or 175 of the delegates, voted against the committee recommendation. This defeats the overture.
12:43 pm
Though I am not Jewish, I being a Christian do absolutely love Israel and consider you my family. It is always sickening when I hear of anyone claiming Christianity and speaking or acting anyway that would show less than love for the Jewish community or Israel. I’m glad these efforts to divest failed. God Bless you!
1:57 pm
8:37 pm
Unfortunately, I am sure this is the beginning of a trend among Protestant sects. It has to be galling to them to not be able to articulate their latent anti Jewish beliefs, and to have had to do so for so long. Now, they can do so with impunity, because ‘it is not Jew hating, it is in support of the poor downtrodden terrorists.’ Sheldon is right. This sect showed no sign of humanitarian interest during the Shoah. But then again, ‘they’re only Jews.’
10:16 pm
So the Presbyterian Assembly votes yea or nay; SO WHAT!
6:48 pm
Wonder if they decided to Boycott Germany during the Shoah!!
Funny how people miss all the similarities, boycotts,
anti-semitic violence, wide spread anti jewish/isreal propaganda.
6:45 pm
Jew hatred is a very powerful intoxicant – even powerful enough to induce our enemies to work against their own best interrests. Maybe the realization that Christians are targets of the same jihadists as are Jews, is the reality check necessary to bring some of our centuries-long enemies to their senses … but probably only temporarily.
6:19 pm
Scientists have studied for decades and have been unable to find any difference between a Presbyterian and a Nazi.
1:48 pm
Nice. Very thoughtful and incisive analysis. Ahhh, humans…