www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-divestment-letter-20120508,0,5534981.story
baltimoresun.com
Just as divestment helped end apartheid, it could help bring peace to Israel
7:30 AM EDT, May 8, 2012
As someone who was involved in the divestment movement against apartheid in
It was sad to read Rev. Dale's claim that the suffering on both sides is about equal. To be frank, this is nonsense. There is a long list of oppressive measures taken against the Palestinians — home demolitions, interminable checkpoints, the Apartheid Wall, settlements, the occupation and more. There is no comparison, for example, in the numbers of Palestinians killed versus Israelis during Operation Cast Lead.
As someone who witnessed apartheid in both
Rev. Dale is concerned about an end to dialogue if the Presbyterians divest. What has the current dialogue achieved? I vote for divestment to force an end to the settlements so that negotiations can begin.
Max Obuszewski, Baltimore
Copyright © 2012, The Baltimore Sun
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-05-03/news/bs-ed-israel-divestment-20120503_1_divestment-prime-minister-salam-fayyad-israelis
The case against divesting from Israel
Instead of divesting from companies in Israel , there is a harder but better road for those who care about justice
May 03, 2012|By James W. Dale
The "divestment from companies working In Israel" bandwagon is rolling again in several Protestant denominations, among them my own, the Presbyterian Church (USA). In one way, that's a good thing. It does ask us to pay attention to
Nonetheless, divestment as a tactic for dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a bad idea. It's a feel-good answer to a complex situation. It robs us of any meaningful role in advocacy for peace and justice. It puts in jeopardy our long-term relationships with American Jews and Arabs.
Divestment is more about making us feel like we're doing something than it is about helping open avenues for fruitful discussion. It reduces the complexity to a simple equation: Divestment equals justice.
The root complexity is the reality that there are two narratives in the region, and each side stakes its credibility on being the bigger victim. Both sides point a finger at the other for being the bad guy, the initiator. Both versions rely on a selective reading of the facts. "He hit me first," as any parents knows, rarely gets at the truth.
The complexity comes in the realization that none of the Jews I know fairly well support the settlements, or the Wall, or the occupation. They believe the current policies are destructive for Palestinians, Israelis and the future of a democratic
The complexity lies in the fact that Presbyterians and other denominations for years have declared support for the nation of
The complexity lies in the fact that Palestinian moderates, like Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, see their future not in grand gestures but in day-to-day investment in the Palestinian people: infrastructure, education, business. Of course, they continue to demand justice from the Israelis, especially the end of the occupation. But at the same time, they look for seemingly insignificant moves that actually make a difference, like the right to create banks.
The complexity lies in the fact that there is no living Palestinian who has not lost family or friends to the violence. Guess what: The same is true in
The second problem with divestment is that it effectively removes our Presbyterian voice from the table. Divestment means mostly the Palestinians (some Palestinians) will listen to us, while many (not all) Jews will dismiss us. Does fruitful engagement come from limiting our conversation to those who agree with us? Presbyterians cannot expect a one-sided dialogue to bear much fruit.
Finally, long-term relationships are at stake. I'm thinking mostly of efforts in the
Both narratives at work in
The harder way, I believe, is the way of continuing to demand that both sides must come to the table if there is ever to be a lasting peace with justice. It could include maintaining a small investment in Caterpillar,Hewlett-Packardand Motorola, (companies on the divestment list) and demanding (through shareholder resolutions and speaking at annual meetings) that such companies invest in the West Bank and
Engagement could include direct investment by our church in initiatives to promote justice and collaboration between Israelis and Palestinians, such as "Profits/Prophets for Peace" sponsored by Auburn Seminary. Or we could go a more traditional route and invest in the Rasmala Palestine Equity Fund, or the Palestine Growth Capital Fund, or Sadara Ventures. The Palestinian stock exchange now lists 47 companies.
Engagement should include learning from both Palestinian and Israeli peace and justice groups about the most fruitful ways to proceed. The popular practice of taking groups to the region should continue — with meaningful time spent on both sides of the wall.
Surely there are creative ways to remain engaged. Thankfully, it is not victimhood that saves or brings justice. It is the mercy of God that saves and brings justice.
I vote for the harder route.
James W. Dale is pastor of the Brown Memorial Woodbrook Presbyterian Church in
Donations can be sent to the
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
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