[Boycott - Economic - World]

US Lutherans consider Israel boycott

Haviv Rettig, The Jerusalem Post
15 August 2007

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which has almost five million members in the US, took a step toward a partial boycott of Israeli goods at its 2007 Churchwide Assembly in Chicago last week.

On Saturday, the assembly, the church's top legislative authority, passed a resolution calling to work toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and urging investment in the Palestinian Authority.

The assembly then urged "consideration of refusing to buy goods or invest in activities taking place in Israeli settlements, and a review of other economic options," according to Bishop Christopher Epting, the presiding bishop's deputy for ecumenical and interfaith relations, quoted on the Episcopal Life Online Web site.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's own news service did not provide information on the content of that motion.

According to the Pondering Pastor blog, Saturday's debate on the resolution picked "up with an amendment to call upon the ELCA to underscore the call for economic initiatives by this church and its members in the ['Peace not Walls'] campaign. Such initiatives, in consultation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land could include purchasing of products [from] Palestinian providers and exploration of the feasibility of refusing to buy products produced in Israeli settlements. Also to be explored is the entire investment activity by this church."

The amendment passed by a vote of 385 to 368.

The assembly rejected a call for divestiture from Israel.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center blasted what it called the "mixed message" of the assembly - rejecting divestiture but "studying" a boycott.

"This marks the first time a mainline American Protestant church has moved toward a possible boycott of Israel," said the center's Associate Dean Rabbi Abraham Cooper. "While we note that the ELCA delegates have now joined the Presbyterian Church (USA) in explicitly rejecting divesting from companies doing business with Israel, they have decided to embrace one of the anti-Israel tactics adopted by United Kingdom trade unions and others in Europe. ELCA delegates would have made a stronger contribution to the quest for peace and justice in the Holy Land had they also raised the ransacking of Christian places of worship and [the] recent forced conversion of a Christian professor in Gaza, as well as the unrelenting targeting of Israeli civilian communities by Palestinian Kassam rockets."

Source: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1186557457886&pagename= JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

ELCA Assembly Hears From Lutheran Bishop of the Holy Land

Worldwide Faith News
15 August 2007

Rev. Munib A. Younan
Lutheran Bishop of the Holy Land

The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, met here Aug. 6-11 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall. About 2,000 people participated, including 1,069 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly was "Living in God's Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"

In his message to the assembly, Younan said it "is time that the U.S. government recognized that it would be in its best interest to become an honest broker" in the Middle East conflict.

Some people say that the church "shouldn't meddle in politics" when it works for justice and peace "in our land," said Younan. But, "it is the Lord and Savior himself who taught us to speak out on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized, to care for humanity and speak for justice."

Working for justice is an integral part of the church's spiritual struggle to liberate humanity from any evil that violates human rights, said Younan. "Working for justice is not political to me, it is biblical and spiritual."

Younan thanked members of the ELCA who have traveled to the Middle East, their zeal for justice and support for educational and ecclesiastical work, support for the Lutheran World Federation's (LWF) work on behalf of Palestinians, and leadership in the Mount of Olives Housing Project -- a project to build 84 housing units for Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem on land LWF has owned since 1950. The homes will be located adjacent to Augusta Victoria Hospital, which the LWF administers. The LWF is a global communion of 140 Lutheran churches representing 66.7 million Christians.

"I call on all religious leaders -- Christians, Muslims and Jews -- to become our allies for justice and humanity," said Younan. "No religion has a monopoly on hate or extremism. It is time that religion become part of the solution rather than part of the problem."

Younan told the assembly that the separation wall, located in the West Bank, is "not a sign of justice and peace." The wall "does not provide security, it breeds despair and a culture of separation." Younan said he has "no doubt that the separation wall in the Holy Land will one day fall."

Many people have asked what they can do to help, said Younan. People can help through education, prophetic interfaith dialogue and continuity of Christianity in the Holy Land. "Christians are leaving because of the unstable political situation, the harsh restrictions of the occupation and the loss of hope in a just peace. We are now less than 2 percent of the population."

Younan said 2007 marks 40 years of occupation. "Forty years of wilderness is enough for both Palestinians and Israelis, indeed for the whole world." The Lutheran church "calls (for) the Palestinian state (to) be a modern, democratic, secular, civil society and live in peace with justice alongside Israel, so that both nations will become a light to the world."

Source: http://www.wfn.org/2007/08/msg00182.html

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