Analysis on Peacemaking Issues at General Assembly 2006

Special Report on Middle East Current Issues and Actions

by Len Bjorkman

The biggest controversy at GA dealing with the Middle East focused on the decision of the 216th GA (2004) to begin a process of phased selective divestment. This GA replaced that instruction with this:

" To urge that financial investments of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), as they pertain to Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, be invested in only peaceful pursuits, and affirm that the customary corporate engagement process of the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investments of our denomination is the proper vehicle for achieving this goal."

In a FAQ sheet, the Office of the General Assembly, referring to this paragraph and others in the GA action, comments:

". . . this instruction sets the work of MRTI [Mission Responsibility through Investment] in a wider context and clarifies that divestment itself was never the goal of the process. Instead, the goal is to engage corporations in which the church has investments, regarding their activity in Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, so that the investments are only used in peaceful pursuits. The 'customary corporate engagement' process does include divestment as a last resort. If corporations fail to change their practices, a future General Assembly may choose to urge divestment from those companies."

The use of the gentle word, "urge," here is a reference to the fact that investments in companies are made by the Presbyterian Foundation and the Board of Pensions; the GA can only recommend such actions to them.

The Peacemaking and International Relations Committee heard opinions from Christian, Jewish and Muslim supporters of the '04 action and from Jewish and Christian opponents of divestment, in the open hearing and when the Overture Advocates and three "special guests" (Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders, who had previously spoken at the pre-Assembly meeting on Middle East peacemaking) spoke just before the debate began. After several hours of comments back and for, coupled with a small-group process to determine priorities among the over 25 overtures, a writing team was selected. They labored and prayed hard to craft a statement incorporating much from the overtures, a General Assembly Council Comment and Advice, and comments from many committee members. The resulting recommendation, which was passed by the GA and is therefore in effect, continues the MRTI process.

The GA action begins by expressing regrets:

"We acknowledge that the actions of the 216th General Assembly (2004) caused hurt and misunderstanding among many members of the Jewish community and within our Presbyterian communion. We are grieved by the pain that this has caused, accept responsibility for the flaws in our process, and ask for a new season of mutual understanding and dialogue."

This has proven to be very welcome among those who experienced the hurt. When plenary amendments were offered that would have specified that "flaws" related to the post-GA communications or that stated similar concerns for Palestinian Muslims and Christians, these we rejected. Part of the reasoning against them dealt with the facts that the statement does call for an end to the occupation and for "dismantl[ing] and relocat[ing]" the "security barrier" where it is on Palestinian land. Further, the statement calls for "an end to all violence and terror against Palestinian and Israeli civilians," for two "viable and secure" states, for "peaceful means," and for "affirmative investment opportunities." Throughout, the GA calls for cooperative attitudes and actions by Jews, Muslims and Christians, by Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans.

One sentence that is very problematic, and that is not softened by any others, is this: "The 217th General Assembly (2006) does not believe that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) should tell a sovereign nation whether it can protect its borders or handle matters of national defense."

Even though this was objected to in the committee as being obviously contrary to the Book of Confession's Theological Declaration of Barman, and to many current policy statements, it was approved by the GA on Wed. An effort on Thurs. to alter it was defeated. One can only speculate if this will cause some problems and if the next GA will be asked to undo this error.

Surrounding the formal debates were vigorous advocacy groups. Among those maintaining the MRTI process were the Israel/Palestine Mission Network, the American Friends Service Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, the Tikkun Community, the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions, the US Campaign to End the Occupation, and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Among those in favor of ending the process were Presbyterian Action, the Committee to End Divestment Now, the American Jewish Committee, the Committee on Presbyterian-Jewish Relations, the Jewish Committee on Public Affairs, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Forward, and B'nai B'rith.

Most of those opposing the divestment process, some of whom were members of holocaust-survivor families, did so from a concern for Israel's security, especially in relation to Palestinian suicide bombings. The shroud of Christian anti-semitism over the centuries was also present. Most of those supporting the divestment process, some of whom also were members of holocaust-survivor families, did so from a concern for what the Palestinians endure under Israel's international-law and human rights' violations. Both sides had differing views regarding the integrity of PC(USA) investments.

The General Assembly Council had approved a very sensitive, comprehensive Comment and Advice that sought to provide a constructive alternative to an "us vs. them" approach. This would have continued the MRTI process with provisions for how any action would come before the '08 GA, and would have formally kept alive the vigorous denominational debate through an appointed working group, with possible policy suggestions to be referred to the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy. The Peacemaking Committee did not support this statement, even though its final report did incorporate several positions. But the provision for formally continuing the debate through an appointed committee was dropped. Hopefully the GAC will continue to work on things keeping in mind the wisdom of their document.

Behind the scenes the Israel-Palestine Mission Network tried to bring to the committee a Commissioners' Resolution focusing on the current crisis in the Occupied Territories, with suggestions for constructive action toward a solution. It called for the end of violence against civilians by both sides, and for both Palestinian President Abbas and the Hamas government to support the principles of the Arab League's Beirut Declaration of 2002; this would have been a major step toward resolving the dual impasse related to Hamas' not recognizing Israel, and Israel's blocking a viable Palestinian state. It called upon Israel to end its violations of humanitarian law, such as preventing delivery of food, fuel and medical supplies, and to fulfill its obligations to transmit tax revenues. This CR was rejected by the Bills & Overtures Com., as containing business already before the Assembly, even though none of the overtures dealt directly with the current crisis, but only with the general conditions that have prevailed for months.

From a PPF standpoint, it was very sad to see the following observation in a newspaper report, based on an interview at GA with a prominent Jewish leader:

"Jews and Presbyterians learned much about each others' perceptions of the Middle East situation following the initial divestment vote. Many Presbyterians' positions were 'honestly informed by a belief in pacifism, a belief that if you lay down your arms and turn the other cheek, you will get a peaceful result,' . . . ."

Such a mischaracterization displays ignorance of the exegetical work, for instance, of Walter Wink on Jesus' assertive nonviolence, or of the contemporary risky nonviolence of the Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron and Iraq. If some Presbyterians with whom this Jewish leader has been in dialogue are so ill informed, it brings into question the value of past dialogue, and calls for an accurate exchange of views. This misconception is doubly ironic, coming from Birmingham, where Martin Luther King, Jr's Christian nonviolence was celebrated during the week.

Two other Middle East issues were so far behind the scenes that no action was even attempted. With both Iraq and Iran boiling over in the country, no one presented any proposals for the GA to consider. This failure was partly due to a misunderstanding about a proposed statement that PPF thought would be brought. But it was reasonable to expect that some commissioners would have called for some GA statement in addition to prayers that were voiced on several occasions.

PPF did hear from a member of the Iraq Christian Peacemaker Team, Beth Pyles, a recent graduate of Princeton Seminary who spent over 4 months there in '05 and '06. Since CPT lives among the Iraqis, as do no reporters or military personnel or mercenaries with US companies, she experienced Iraqis' fears of the random killings, their daily search for loved ones among the bodies thrown in the morgue, their frustrations about foreign terrorists who are allowed to enter through the porous borders, and their anger that the US military does not protect the civilian population, even when called upon by the UN or Iraqis to do so. She also told of plans that include possible US military action in Iran, and urged everyone to phone the US government to reject a military strike of any sort against Iran.

We in PPF, for ourselves and on behalf of the GA, do well to have deep regret, and an attitude of repentance, that no statement of concern or healing or recommendation was made about Iraq, Iran, and also Afghanistan, during this time when those areas are so much on the minds of our nation and the world.

Special thanks goes to the staff of the First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, and to Assoc. Pastor Michelle Freeman; she arranged for all the PPF and Israel-Palestine Mission Network packages to be received by her church, and provided space for the Network to meet, for a Shabat service, and for the presentation of "Rachel's Words" on Sat., a reading of letters by Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli Caterpillar bulldozer on March 16, 2003. Such use of specially constructed equipment is one of the reasons the MRTI process is investigating what happens with our investments.

Thanks also goes to retired Birmingham Unitarian Minister, Jack Zylman, who provided essential logistical help to PPF and to the Network. The Assembly's theme, "So Great a Cloud of Witnesses" found expression in innumerable ways!