The Episcopal Church in the United States on Thursday rejected a motion calling for the divestment from companies doing business with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The General Convention of the church, meeting in Salt Lake City, rejected in a voice vote the proposal to divest from businesses that have operations in the West Bank and to boycott West Bank settlement products. The Episcopal Church has around 1.8 million members across the US.
Meanwhile, the delegates to the assembly of the Mennonite Church USA, which was set to decide this week on whether to sell off stock in companies "known to be profiting from the occupation" and from "destruction of life and property" in West Bank Israeli settlement, voted 418-336 to delay a vote until 2017.
Earlier this week, the United Church of Christ's (UCC) voted to boycott and divest from companies operating in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The resolution passed easily with a majority of 508 to 124, and 38 abstentions. It calls for the boycott, divestment and sanctions of "companies deemed supportive of Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories."
Israel's Foreign Ministry blasted the UCC’s decision as "immoral," adding that "people of faith and religion should work to facilitate peace and not try to hurt the side aspiring for peace."
