Survey: Members, elders oppose PCUSA’s action to divest stock in companies doing business in Israel
By Craig M. Kibler, The Layman Online, May 25, 2005
Members and elders, by a 3-2 margin, opposed the action of the 216th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to target Israel by divesting its stock in corporations doing business with that country, according to the denomination’s Research Services Office.
The action sparked a barrage of criticism that continues today, and prompted the staff leaders of the PCUSA to summon representatives of presbyteries and synods to Louisville, Ky., in February to explain “what we did and why we did it.”
The controversial language of the General Assembly resolution calls for “phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel,” but does not call for any economic sanctions against the Palestinians.
While the resolution does condemn both terrorism and Israel’s military response to attacks by suicide bombers who have murdered hundreds of civilians, it clearly blames Israel’s government for the war.
The PCUSA’s policy has been widely criticized by Jewish groups, Presbyterians and other Christians for being politically partisan in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a threat to Jewish-Presbyterian relations.
In an online article in Presbyterians Today, Jack Marcum, the director of the Research Services Office, writes that, “Few recent General Assembly actions have been as controversial as last year’s decision to explore possible divestment of stocks owned by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in companies doing business in Israel. Using the November 2004 Presbyterian Panel survey, Research Services asked a series of questions about possible divestment and related issues.”
When asked if they favor or oppose the divestment action, the survey found that “more members and elders responded opposed (members, 42 percent; elders, 46 percent) than favor (28 percent; 30 percent); the rest had no opinion (30 percent; 23 percent). Among ministers, however, more responded favored (pastors, 48 percent; other ministers, 64 percent) than opposed (43 percent; 24 percent) (no opinion: 9 percent; 12 percent).”
Marcum writes that “opinions on divestment are related to one’s general theological outlook.” The survey found that, among those “who described themselves as theologically conservative, majorities opposed divestment (members, 55 percent; elders, 58 percent; pastors, 75 percent; other ministers, 58 percent). Among theological liberals, more favored (members, 50 percent; elders, 46 percent; pastors, 77 percent; other ministers, 79 percent) than opposed (33 percent; 34 percent; 18 percent; 14 percent) divestment. Among theological moderates, especially laypersons, opinions are more evenly split between favored (30, 34, 50 and 61 percent) and opposed (35, 38, 38 and 22 percent).”
In the wake of the General Assembly’s action, denominational officials have tried to deflect the criticism, sometimes using nuanced interpretations of the resolution. They have said, for instance, that the resolution calls for divestment of PCUSA funds only in corporations aiding Israel’s military effort. But the resolution does not limit divestment to any specific corporation.