Tuesday, February 07, 2006

PC(USA) News: MRTI on divestment

PC(USA) News: MRTI on divestment:
MRTI won’t have any recommendations
for GA on Israel/Palestine divestment issue

Several presbyteries expected to submit
overtures urging reversal of '04 decision

by Toya Richards Hill

"NEW YORK CITY — Almost two years after getting its assignment, the committee overseeing possible divestment from corporations whose business practices promote violence in Israel and Palestine isn’t ready to make recommendations on the issue to the upcoming General Assembly...."

I was the elder-commissioner from my congregation to the meeting of the Prebytery of Missouri Union on Saturday (2/4/2006), and we voted on an MRTI-related overture. This was not to reverse the 2004 action, but to provide a new charge to the committee: to focus on actions that would enhance the well-being of both sides of the Israel/Palestine conflict. My assessment of what was being proposed was that it was more affirmative in its thrust than the 2004 action. It passed on a voice vote, without dissent.

I have been concerned for some time with the apparent imbalance of PC(USA) actions in the Middle East, and I would like to see our response to the conflict be a little more pastoral than punitive.

2 comments:

Jody Harrington said...

New Covenant presbytery passed an overture based on a similar theme: let's try to encourage the positive rather than punish the negative. I was a commissioner to that meeting. I hope something like this passes GA.

Unknown said...

I appreciate your comments. This was the first time I had the opportunity to vote on an overture being sent upstream. I have voted on overtures sent from GA, but it feels good to be a part of the grassroots, especially one I can get behind.