Mennonite Church to divest in protest of Israeli policies
By Associated Press July 6 at 4:35 PM
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Mennonite Church USA voted Thursday to sell its holdings in companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the latest American Christian group to do so.
The decision was made at a national Mennonite convention in Orlando, Florida. Although the economic impact is expected to be minimal, such votes are closely watched as a measure of views on Israel and the Palestinians from within the U.S., the Jewish state’s closest and most important ally.
The resolution directs managers of the $3 billion Everence church fund to regularly screen holdings to avoid any economic support for Israeli policies in the occupied territories.
Continued: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/mennonite-church-to-divest-in-protest-of-israeli-policies/2017/07/06/d2e8c546-6288-11e7-80a2-8c226031ac3f_story.html?utm_term=.f12b35e76b85
Here is the Mennonite version of this story, one might wish to read the emboldened below:
The resolution opposes the Israeli military occupation while taking a stand against anti-Semitism and affirming the need to build stronger relationships with Jewish communities.
In 2015, delegates tabled an earlier version of the resolution, asking that it be rewritten and brought back in two years.
This time, delegates commended the statement as a humble call for justice that recognizes the interconnectedness of Jewish and Palestinian suffering.
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Regarding the controversial movement known as BDS — boycott, divestment and sanctions — the resolution aims to offer a unique Mennonite position. It urges avoiding “the purchase of products associated with acts of violence or policies of military occupation.” It does not call for a boycott of all Israeli goods or for academic or cultural boycotts.
A couple of delegates asked for more specific guidance about what products to avoid.
The resolution asks the financial agency Everence to convene representatives of Mennonite organizations to “review investment practices for the purpose of withdrawing investments from companies that are profiting from the occupation.” It urges all church members to review their investments in a similar way.
http://mennoworld.org/2017/07/06/news/mc-usa-delegates-pass-israel-palestine-resolution/#comment-5324
Mennonite World News website:
http://mennoworld.org/
