Christian/Jewish Coalition Reacts to UCC's Anti-Israel Resolutions
by Jim Brown
July 12, 2005
(AgapePress) - Evangelical and Jewish leaders are condemning a move by the United Church of Christ (UCC) to divest from companies that do business with Israel, and are vowing to ramp up their anti-divestment activities as a result of that decision.
At its General Synod last month in Atlanta, the UCC passed a resolution approving divestment [PDF] as a means of "economic leverage" to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The UCC also overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for Israel to tear down its security barrier [PDF] protecting against Palestinian terrorists. The denomination describes that barrier as "visually, physically, psychologically and spiritually offensive" to the Palestinian people. Of those resolutions, Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles says the UCC is holding Israel to a different standard than the rest of the world -- and that the divestment measure will only promote violence and embolden terrorists.
George Mamo is executive vice president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. He says racist decisions by mainline Protestant denominations like the UCC have prompted many Evangelicals to increase their support for the Jewish state.
"It really does seem that Evangelicals are stepping up to the plate even more as the mainline [denominations] are retreating," Mamo observes. "But you know what we're really looking for? We're looking for that denomination that's going to step up and say: 'You know what? The Presbyterians are divesting, the United Church of Christ is divesting, the Methodists are considering divesting, Anglicans are considering divesting -- but our denomination is going to invest.'"
In concert with that search, the IFCJ is calling on mainline Protestant denominations to reject anti-Semitic divestment campaigns, and instead increase the direct investments they make in Israel.
"We haven't heard of anybody that's considering [increasing their investments], but we're ready on our side," says Mamo. "We've already drafted resolutions if they want help there; we can help them identify the companies that should be invested in -- and we're monitoring ... when different denominations are meeting. We're just hoping and praying that somebody's going to step up and take that bold step."
Mamo's group will be recognizing two individuals this fall who have taken bold pro-Israel stances. At a special event on September 28 in Washington, DC, the IFCJ plans to honor former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman for their long-time support of Israel.
At its meeting last month, the UCC General Synod also passed a resolution approving same-sex "marriage." The denomination offered its support for so-called "marriage equality" by advocating ecclesiastical changes and legislative efforts to extend full rights and responsibilities to homosexual couples now enjoyed by heterosexual couples.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
