The Divestment Debate: You’re Invited

Should the church con­tinue invest­ing in com­pa­nies “prof­it­ing from non-peaceful activ­i­ties in Israel-Palestine”? It is a hotly debated question.

Two weeks ago, Unbound explored that question through a series of three articles leading up to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly (June 30 – July 7, 2012), where elected commissioners will vote on whether or not to divest from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions for their roles in the occupation of Palestinian Territories. “Divestment as Investment (in Justice)” presents the issue, context, and essential arguments for divestment. “Debunking the Myth of Positive Investment” examines opposing arguments and alternative proposals. “Opting for Boycott” presents boycotting all products from illegal settlements on occupied land as a further step toward integrity, solidarity, and effectiveness.

Last week, Unbound published a response from the United Methodist Kairos Response: “Israel Targets Palestinian-American Human Rights Activist for Deportation“.

This week, Unbound summarizes the argument and expands the conversation to include other voices, some supporting divestment, some not—some already linked in previous articles, some offering new responses since our series publication. We invite you to send us other voices not represented here, or post your own voice below as a comment.

In Favor of Divestment

• “Eleven Former Moderators of PC(USA) Support MRTI Report and Divestment”
  Shared by the Israel/Palestine Mission Network
• “Divestment and Israel/Palestine: Policy Mountains or Molehills?”
  Donald Mead, The Presbyterian Outlook
• “Justice Requires Action to Stop Subjugation of Palestinians”
  Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Tampa Bay Times
• “Call to Action: U.S. Response to the Kairos Palestine Document”
  Kairos USA (includes section on boycott, divestment, and sanctions)
• “Kairos Palestine Letter to 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)”
  Kairos Palestine
• “An Open Letter from Jeff Halper to the PC(USA)”
  Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition
• “Open Letter to the Jewish Council for Public Affairs”
  Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb of the Jewish Voice for Peace and the Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence
• “Jewish Voice for Peace Stands with Presbyterian Divestment”
  Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council (published on Unbound)
• “To Save Israel, Boycott the Settlements”
  Peter Beinart, The New York Times

Against Divestment

• “Divestment Again? A Bad Idea”
  Jamie Dale, The Presbyterian Outlook
• “Presbyterians on the Precipice Again”
  Noam E. Marans, The Washington Post
• “Investment, Not Divestment: How to Help the Palestinians”
  Thomas A. Prinz and Karl-John N. Stone, The Christian Century
• “Questions to Consider on Divestment”
  Presbyterians for Middle East Peace
• “Letter in Hope: Jewish Community for Peacemaking & Against Divestment”
  Jewish Council for Public Affairs
• “An Open Letter to the PCUSA: Divestment Policies Against Israel Are Unfair and Harmful”
  Dr. Shmuel Katz, Aish.com

Mapping the Debate

• “GAMC recommends divestment from Caterpillar, Motorola, Hewlett-Packard“, Presbyterian News Service (see the many comments on all sides of the debate posted below the article)
• “Tough Questions”
  Jack Haberer, The Presbyterian Outlook
• “Long-Simmering Divestment Issue May Come to a Boil at 220th GA”
  Michael Jennings, The Presbyterian Outlook
• “Jewish org’s letter warns Presbyterians divestment from occupation ‘taps into our deepest fears’”
  Mondoweiss
• “Caterpillar in Middle of Global Dispute”
  Tom Beyerlein
, Dayton Daily News