United Church Presbytery Group Launches Boycott Divestment Campaign against Israel

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The Holy Land Awareness and Action Task Group, of the Social Justice and World Affairs Committee within South West Presbytery of the United Church of Canada, has launched Occupied with Peace in Palestine, a Boycott/Divestment Campaign. “The non-violent Campaign,” says spokesperson Rev. Brian McIntosh, “encourages individuals and organizations, particularly congregations of the United Church in its region, to use economic leverage to persuade six companies operating in Canada – Caterpillar, Motorola, Ahava, Veolia, Elbit Systems and Chapters/Indigo – currently involved in illegal activities in the Palestinian Occupied Territories – to stop supporting the Israeli occupation and uphold international law.”
 
The Campaign responds to calls from a broad cross-section of Palestinian civil society, church leaders and Israeli peace activists, and follows similar campaigns launched some time ago by the Presbyterian Church – USA and the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church, USA. The Campaign’s information kit includes an introductory brochure and cover letter, pledge forms of commitment and solidarity, and company information bulletins and sample letters, as well as prayer material, all of which can be found and downloaded on the Campaign website – www.occupiedwithpeace.org
 
“We have launched Occupied with Peace after almost two years of discernment and information gathering,” says Jean Lee, Task Group Chairperson. “The United Church’s General Council, at its last meeting in August of 2009, called upon us all to ‘enter into consultation, dialogue, study and prayer, and then take appropriate action toward ending the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory … (including, but not limited to economic boycott).’ We’ve taken that call seriously, and now join with many others in Canada and around the world who act in solidarity with Palestinians living under the daily burden, oppression and threat to life and livelihood that Israel’s occupation represents.”
 
“We hope and pray,” says McIntosh, “that this Boycott Divestment Campaign will be taken up by people in and beyond the United Church who care about human dignity, human rights and the rule of international law, and who realize that ending the illegal occupation of the territories, including East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, is the first step toward building a just and lasting peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.”

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4 Comments

  1. There will be no lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis as long as the Palestinians say they will not accept a Jewish state in the region. They will NEVER get fair treatment and an alleviation of suffering, de-construction of the ‘security fence’ and a cessation of violence until they [Palestinians] cease from training their children to HATE Israel and all Jews. This is systematic in schools and mosques and [some] churches … across the disputed territories and Gaza. Western calls for peace are rcomment_IDiculous! Divesting will not bring peace, it will only make you feel better. Do not be ignorant of THIS. IF … and I mean IF, the ARAB NATIONS, the UMMA, the PALESTINIANS would say YES we accept you? The violence and the conflict would END. Period. ~Salaam

  2. I salute South West Presbytery of the United Church of Canada for their principled stand in supporting peaceful boycott/divestment of Israel until the oppression and occupation of the Palestinian people ends. I would share that some are coming around to the view that a two-state solution is no longer either feasible or practically viable and that one bi-national state with equal rights, the vote, and citizenship for all is the most just scenario moving forward. – http://www.mcloughlinpost.com

  3. Mr Daniel Wright, I think you live in a country far away from the country of Israel and you depend fully on the media or what you hear from the Israeli media meaning you are either a Jew or pro Jew. Before you judge and give your statement, you must visit this country or at least live and walk around and see the difficulties and the harrassment made by the Israelis towards the people of this country, Palestinians. Peace can be made if Israel stops building settlements and steal the land of the Palestinians and uproot the holy olive trees of the land of olives.

  4. There are so many countries committing human rights violations on a scale even larger then Israel, among other:

    China: Tibet
    Russia: Chechnya
    India: Kashmir

    Yet when it comes time to talk about boycotts it is always only Israel, always only Israel, always only Israel….

    Any reason why?

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