February 15, 2006
Several regional bodies of the Presbyterian Church in the United States are calling on the church to end or change its policy of divestment in companies working in Israel. The five church presbyteries have drafted the documents calling for a change in the organization’s selective divestment policy, which was adopted in 2004 to put pressure on Israel to pull out of Palestinian territories, AP reports. The move had strained relations between the church and the Jewish community. Church officials are still negotiating with some of the multinational corporations in question. Last week, the synod of the Anglican Church, with the backing of its leader, Archbishop Rowan Williams, vote in favor of divestment, a vote that sparked outrage around the world, notably from Jewish groups.
