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<h1 class="article-title">United Church of Christ Divests from
Israeli Occupation</h1>
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<span class="article-details">
<span class="article-detail"><img class="icon"
src="cid:part1.09040704.00070009@freedomarchives.org"
alt="author"> Wednesday July 01, 2015 11:05</span><span
class="article-detail"><img class="icon"
src="cid:part2.06010706.05090004@freedomarchives.org"
alt="author"> by Celine Hagbard - IMEMC News</span></span> <br>
<b><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.imemc.org/article/72119">http://www.imemc.org/article/72119</a></small></small></b><br>
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<blockquote class="article-intro">The U.S.-based United Church of
Christ voted 508 - 124 on Tuesday to divest from companies
involved in the Israeli occupation of Palestine.</blockquote>
<p class="article">The divestment resolution passed by the United
Church of Christ (UCC) calls for the church to divest from the
Israeli occupation, to boycott Israeli settlement products, to
persist in pressuring Congress to end unconditional U.S. military
aid to Israel, and to study the Kairos Palestine document produced
by prominent Palestinian Christians, which calls on Christians
around the world to take action to support the basic human rights
of the Palestinian people. <br>
<br>
The resolution was introduced at the UCC's Synod (General
Assembly) by the United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network
(UCC-PIN), which issued a statement following the vote which
quoted Rev. Mitri Raheb, a Christian Palestinian and Pastor of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, who
traveled to Cleveland for the synod.<br>
<br>
He said, "In approving this resolution, the UCC has demonstrated
its commitment to justice and equality. For Palestinians living
under occupation or facing systematic discrimination as citizens
of Israel, enduring the destruction of their homes and businesses,
the theft of their land for settlements, and living under blockade
and siege in Gaza, this action sends a strong signal that they are
not alone, and that there are churches who still dare to speak
truth to power and stand with the oppressed.”<br>
<br>
South African anti-apartheid activist, Reverend Desmond Tutu,
wrote a statement in support of the UCC's divetment resolution,
writing, "I affirm your resolution’s condemnation of all violence
and your uncompromising commitment to the path of non-violence and
inter-religious dialogue. And I commend the resolution’s call for
accountability from your own, United States, government over its
annual $3.1 billion in military aid to Israel."<br>
<br>
According to the statement by UCC-PIN, the vote, which was 508 in
favor, 124 against, with 38 abstentions, was the culmination of a
process that began in 2005, to end the Church's complicity in
Israel's nearly half-century-old occupation and other abuses of
Palestinian human rights. It also comes as a response to the
Christian Palestinian community’s call for Boycott, Divestment,
and Sanctions, as embodied in the Kairos Palestine document, which
seeks to achieve Palestinian freedom and rights using peaceful
means, inspired by the US Civil Rights and South African
anti-Apartheid movements.<br>
<br>
In passing Resolution #4, the UCC is following in the footsteps of
other large U.S. churches like the Presbyterian Church (USA),
which passed a similar resolution last year divesting from
Israel’s occupation, and the United Methodists, who voted to
boycott products made in Israeli settlements in the occupied
Palestinian territories and whose pension board divested from G4S,
a prison service company, due in part to its dealings with the
Israeli military.<br>
<br>
According to supporters of the resolution, as of today, the
Presbyterians have divested from Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions,
and Hewlett Packard; the United Methodists divested from G4S; the
Quaker Friends Fiduciary Corporation divested from Caterpillar,
Veolia, and Hewlett Packard; the United Church of Christ divested
from all of the above; and the American Friends Service Committee
and Mennonite Central Committee have divested from many others --
all in light of these companies’ involvement in the Israeli
military occupation.<br>
<br>
Two more national denominations, including the Episcopalians, will
consider boycott and divestment in the coming week.<br>
<br>
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement is an international
effort aimed at pressuring the Israeli government to end its
occupation of Palestinian land, air, sea, borders, travel, access
to resources and economy. The means that the movement is using to
pressure Israel is by calling for divestment from companies
engaged in the Israeli military occupation, to boycott Israeli
goods, services and academic collaborations and to sanction the
Israeli government.<br>
<br>
Next week marks the 10 year anniversary of the Palestinian call
for BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) campaigns to hold
Israel accountable for its violations of Palestinian rights and
international law. </p>
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