WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES: DIVESTMENT IN ISRAEL
August 19, 2006
by: jovial_cynic
by: jovial_cynic
I picked this article up from the Palestinian Pundit, which pointed to a Haaretz article regarding the World Council of Churches and their decision to encourage members to sell of investments in Israel, siting "Multinational corporations... involved in the demolition of Palestinian homes," as well as "the construction of settlements and settlement infrastructure on occupied territory, in building a dividing wall which is also largely inside occupied territory, and in other violations of international law."
This divestment is similar to the tactic used against South Africa two decades ago in a fight against apartheid. Interestingly, the Electronic Infatada draws up an article addressing the similarities between Israel today and South Africa's apartheid regime.
The parallels with apartheid South Africa are many and striking. Like its earlier apartheid cousin, Israel menaces all its neighbors with an impressive array of nukes and the largest military establishment in the region...
The old South Africa bombed, strafed and invaded all its neighbors with some regularity, crippling their commerce and extracting horrific death tolls from refugee camps and other civilian targets. The last time Israel invaded and occupied Lebanon, it left 30,000 corpses.
Western Christians tend to have a knee-jerk response to anything going on in Israel, assuming that Israel is always right because they are God's chosen people. It doesn't help that the United States has such a friendly relationship with Israel, both in the corporate sector and in the media. Hopefully this move by the WCC will create more of a discussion among church folks, allowing them to make a more educated decision about what's going on in the Holy Lands.
This divestment is similar to the tactic used against South Africa two decades ago in a fight against apartheid. Interestingly, the Electronic Infatada draws up an article addressing the similarities between Israel today and South Africa's apartheid regime.
The parallels with apartheid South Africa are many and striking. Like its earlier apartheid cousin, Israel menaces all its neighbors with an impressive array of nukes and the largest military establishment in the region...
The old South Africa bombed, strafed and invaded all its neighbors with some regularity, crippling their commerce and extracting horrific death tolls from refugee camps and other civilian targets. The last time Israel invaded and occupied Lebanon, it left 30,000 corpses.
Western Christians tend to have a knee-jerk response to anything going on in Israel, assuming that Israel is always right because they are God's chosen people. It doesn't help that the United States has such a friendly relationship with Israel, both in the corporate sector and in the media. Hopefully this move by the WCC will create more of a discussion among church folks, allowing them to make a more educated decision about what's going on in the Holy Lands.