A Call to the Anglican Church to Refuse to Divest from Israel

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As men and women who long for peace and mutual respect to prevail among the peoples of the world, we call on you to repudiate the initiative of the Anglican Peace and Justtice Network to adopt an anti-Israel divestment policy. Divestment is morally wrong because it unfairly singles out the nation of Israel for opprobrium, and it is bad policy because it is likely to lead not to peace but to war.

Professor Michael Walzer of the Princeton University, a moral philosopher, is the leading scholar in the world today of the Just War theory developed by generations of Christian theologians. He has written, "The current boycott campaign against Israel, modeled on the 1980s campaign against South Africa, aims at a very one-sided delegitimation. And because the other side isn't led by an organization remotely like the African National Congress, or by a man remotely like Nelson Mandela, the success of this campaign would be disastrous. It would strengthen the forces fighting the (Palestinian war to destroy the state of Israel)."

Nor has the Anglican Communion been an honest broker in the Middle East. A study released on Sept. 26, 2004 by the Institute on Religion and Democracy shows that fully one-third of church statements on human rights issues are aimed at Israel. Another third are aimed at the United States.

By contrast, "Only 19 percent of the church criticisms were aimed at nations deemed "not free" in the 2004 Freedom House assessments. Many of the countries rated lowest by Freedom House-such as China, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia-were not criticized even once. Of the fifteen worst human rights abusers listed by Freedom House, only five received any criticism during the four years studied."

The Anglican Church has not divested from China in protest over its illegal occupations of Tibet and Eastern Turkmenistan. It has not divested from Syria despite that nations occupation of Lebanon and massacres of minority Kurds. It has not divested form Nigeria despite brutal efforts to impose shaaria on unwilling Christians. It has not divested from Iran where Bahai are murdered by their own government for their faith. Against this background, the initiative to divest from only one nation state, the national state of the Jewish people, is highly suspect.

As Harvard University President Lawrence Summers said with regard to another effort to promote divestment from Israel, such actions are anti-Semitic in their effect, if not their intent.

The Catholic Church has officially stated: We oppose anti-Semitism in any way and form, including anti-Zionism that has become of late a manifestation of anti-Semitism.

This is a moment when Canterbury would do well to listen to Rome.

1302 Signatures

  • gregory f
    • city, state, country
    • ma, usa
  • Gerald F
    • city, state, country
    • Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  • Robert Lee Kantor, M
    • city, state, country
    • Sarasota, FL, USA
    • congregation or parish
    • Chabad
    • comments
    • I disagree with your decision. It is not based on facts. You did not even meet with Israeli officials !
  • George G
    • city, state, country
    • Chicago, Illinois,USA
  • Dr. Richard L. B
    • city, state, country
    • Chicago, IL, USA
  • Brian Weiner M
    • city, state, country
    • morganville, nj, usa
  • Diana S
    • city, state, country
    • Tuscaloosa, AL
    • congregation or parish
    • former episcopalian
    • comments
    • Stop the suicide bombers first, then I'll believe you have a plan! I don't recall the Anglican Church protesting the Rabbit Proof Fence in Australia!
  • David L
    • city, state, country
    • Natick, MA, USA
    • congregation or parish
    • Temple Israel
    • comments
    • You should look into divesting from organizations that support terror against Israel
  • Gilda K
    • city, state, country
    • Dallas, Texas USA
    • comments
    • Arafat and the PLO have been intransient in all efforts to work out a reasonable solution. Israel is a democracy that respects freedom of religion. How could you even consider such an action against them?
  • Dubi B
    • city, state, country
    • Israel
  • Stanley D
    • city, state, country
    • Columbia, SC
  • Bruce G
    • city, state, country
    • Newton,Ma. USA
    • congregation or parish
    • Congregation Beth El
  • ronnie f
    • city, state, country
    • Tucson, Arizona USA
  • Doran V
    • city, state, country
    • Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • comments
    • The Anglican church has been shamed!
  • Mistinguette H
    • city, state, country
    • nyc, ny usa
    • comments
    • the screed as presented by the ignorant prodivestiture 'priests' is utterly interplanetary and bizarre, and indicates there is not enough medication in the US to rectify these mendacious, rectal thinkers.
  • Donald W. S
    • city, state, country
    • Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Gary G
    • city, state, country
    • Chandler, AZ, United States
    • congregation or parish
    • Presbyterian
    • comments
    • It appears to me that those religious leaders who advocate divestment from companies that do business in Israel have politically aligned themselves to the objectives of the International Solidarity Movement and the Palestine Solidarity Movement and, as a result, also serve to advance the interests of Palestinian terrorist organizatons like HAMAS, Islamic Jihad, etc. to the detriment of fundamental religious freedoms of the kind we embrace in the U.S.
  • Gary B
    • city, state, country
    • Old Bridge, NJ
  • Dr. Israel-Bernard F
    • city, state, country
    • Yavne - Israel
  • Edward D. A
    • city, state, country
    • Oakland, Maine, USA
  • Earl H
    • city, state, country
    • Palo Alto, CA, USA
  • Elizabeth A. T
    • city, state, country
    • Hackettstown, NJ USA
  • Elizabeth B
    • city, state, country
    • Merrick, NY 11566
  • George K
    • city, state, country
    • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
    • congregation or parish
    • The Shul
    • comments
    • Oh yes, it is fashionable to make anti-Israeli statements, petitions and policies these days. Just look at the overwhelming majority of the UN General Assembly resolutions However, making anti-Israeli statements does not automatically make you an anti-Semite. But then you single out Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, for collective punishment and stand silent regarding many other countries with human rights records much worse than Israels. Is divesting from Israel a higher priority item than trying to save Africans being slaughtered by Arab militias in Sudan? What about treatment of women in Saudi Arabia? Or honor killings in Jordan? How about Nigeria? Your action suggests that it is. This action further suggests that you are judging Israel to a higher standard than any other nation, and are assessing a punishment in accordance with the crime. This makes you morally and ethically deficient at best and blatantly anti-Semitic at worst.
  • George M. Pikler, M
    • city, state, country
    • Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
  • Sergio P
    • city, state, country
    • London, United Kingdom
  • Judy G
    • city, state, country
    • Harrisburg, PA USA
  • Mark J
    • city, state, country
    • Chicago, Ill
  • Dr. Roberto-Juan G
    • city, state, country
    • Napa, California, USA
    • comments
    • Before the Divest Petition is even considered, Yassir Arafat must divest of the hundreds of milllions of dollars he has stolen from the Palestinians.
  • jonathan
    • city, state, country
    • London, UK
  • edwin g
    • city, state, country
    • Tarzana, CA, USA
  • Ed K
    • city, state, country
    • Ft.Lee, NJ
    • comments
    • The Muslims will get to you next. Your support of murders and thieves is beyond comprehension. Simply care for your church, and stay out of affairs that do not concern you.
  • Karen F
    • city, state, country
    • Olney, MD, USA
  • gary p
    • city, state, country
    • chicago, il usa
    • comments
    • wake up and smell the roses !!!!
  • John K
    • city, state, country
    • Auburn, CA, USA
  • Elaine Fox, M
    • city, state, country
    • Southampton, NY, USA
  • Fred J
    • city, state, country
    • San Diego, CA USA
  • Normae G
    • city, state, country
    • San Jose, CA, USA
    • congregation or parish
    • Presbyterian
    • comments
    • This planned divestiture is anti-semitic.
  • Jeffrey D
    • city, state, country
    • Greenwell Springs, LA USA
  • Israel B
    • city, state, country
    • Colorado Springs, CO, USA
  • Irene B
    • city, state, country
    • Newton, MA, USA
  • Harold L. G
    • city, state, country
    • Canton, Ohio, USA
  • John A. J
    • city, state, country
    • Leverett, MA USA
    • congregation or parish
    • Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst MA
  • Greg J
    • city, state, country
    • Batavia, Illinois
  • Ilya F
    • city, state, country
    • Swampscott, MA, USA
  • jean A E
    • city, state, country
    • Cardiff, Wales , UK
    • comments
    • This will be the end of the Anglican Church if it goes through
  • Jeremy D
    • city, state, country
    • Phoenix, AZ USA
  • Gerald L
    • city, state, country
    • Parsippany, NJ, USA
  • gordon m
    • city, state, country
    • auberry, california
    • congregation or parish
    • Epis.
    • comments
    • This political correctness does not belong in church-shame on you all!
  • Dr Igor K
    • city, state, country
    • Newton Center, MA, USA