Presbyterians Vote for Divestment

The U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) applauds the decision by the Presbyterian Church (USA) to divest $21 million from Hewlett-Packard, Motorola Solutions, and Caterpillar, three companies that continue to profit from Israeli apartheid. The church’s vote yesterday, at its General Assembly meeting in Detroit, preceded two weeks earlier by the United Methodist Church’s selling off all its stock in private security company G4S, which supplies equipment to Israeli prisons, sets examples for all other institutions of faith to follow.

We thank our Presbyterian sisters and brothers for their strong expression of solidarity with our struggle for self-determination. Our cause is a just and beautiful one, and we are proud of the church’s historic decision in the face of relentless opposition.

“It was time for our church to align its words with action,” said Bob Ross of the Presbyterians’ Israel Palestine Mission Network (IPMN), which led the movement to victory.  “Divestment is a time-tested, nonviolent, faithful act of love and I have never been prouder to be Presbyterian.”

USPCN’s participation at the General Assembly included local organizing with the diverse Michigan Coalition for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel, and testifying in support of divestment before the church’s Middle East Committee and others.  One USPCN member who gave testimony was a teenaged woman from Chicago.

Under the leadership of IPMN and the church’s Mission Responsibility Through Investment committee, dozens of activists from national organizations like American Muslims for Palestine, Friends of Sabeel, Jewish Voice for Peace, Students for Justice in Palestine, the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, and others have been organizing for months in anticipation of this moment.  They all deserve much credit.

Also instrumental to the victory were an incredibly powerful message to Presbyterians from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and an op-ed from Palestinian Christian Grace Said.

Congratulations and gratitude again to the Presbyterian Church (USA) for standing on the side of justice and self-determination.  Another step forward in the struggle for Liberation and Return!