ENI – By a vote of 483 to 28 the Presbyterian Church (USA) set as church policy that “financial investments … as they pertain to Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, be invested in only peaceful pursuits.”
Under the new policy, investments are to be subjected to the existing “corporate engagement” process of the church and evaluated by the same standards and process as other PCUSA investments in all other countries.
The American Jewish Council's David Bernstein said the new wording “subjects Israel to the same process as every other country in the world. That's what we wanted. Singling out Israel is not the way to approach peace in the Middle East.”
The Presbyterian assembly also said it was “grieved by the pain” that resulted from its 2004 decision within the denomination and among many members of the Jewish community.
The denomination's stated clerk, Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, said the decision did not overturn the actions of the 2004 general assembly, the Presbyterian News Service reported.
The Rev. Gretchen Graf, moderator of the committee charged with following the initiative through, said the new policy affirmed the work of her committee, “which recommends divestment only as a last resort.”
