NEW YORK, June 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Delegates to the 218th
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have taken an important step
forward, acknowledging that its congregations, members, and associated bodies
should not "over-identify" with either party in the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict, but should instead strive to serve as "nonpartisan advocates" for
peace and compromise. The church also decided against new motions for
divestment from various companies operating in Israel, and called for a
comprehensive two-year study of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
We welcome the movement by Presbyterians toward balance. However,
concerns remain. One adopted PC (USA) resolution endorsed a World Council of
Churches statement known as "The Amman Call," which purports to advance peace,
but is inconsistent with a political solution that would include a viable
Jewish state alongside an independent Palestinian state. The church also
voted to continue its policy of "engagement" with corporations whose products
are used in a manner disapproved by the denomination. We hope that the new
policy of nonpartisanship will motivate the church to recognize the need to
exert pressure on companies operating in Iran and Syria, state sponsors of
terror.
We are hopeful that two years of careful study of the Middle East conflict
will result in a fresh look at the situation. Presbyterians have now stated,
in the resolution calling for non-partisanship, that the conflict should not
be reduced to "a caricature of reality where one side clearly is at fault and
the other side is clearly the victim." The cause of a secure and just peace,
a goal we very much share, will be furthered by the more nuanced approach
sought by the General Assembly.
We are thankful to the many Presbyterians who made their voices heard in
recognizing the need for a fair and responsible approach to the complexity of
the Middle East and we hope these decisions will not be reconsidered before
the conference concludes. We look forward to strengthening the
Presbyterian-Jewish relationship as the PC (USA) realizes this approach in all
of its peacemaking efforts.
American Jewish Committee
Anti-Defamation League
B'nai B'rith International
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Simon Wiesenthal Center
Union for Reform Judaism
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
SOURCE Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Matt Dorf of Rabinowitz-Dorf Communications, +1-202-265-3000 (o), or
+1-202-669-6553 (m), for Jewish Council for Public Affairs
