"Anti-Israel Divestment seems to have died within the United Methodist Church. Good Riddance!" - UM Action Executive Director Mark Tooley

Contact: Loralei Coyle, 202-682-4131, 202-905-6852 cell, lcoyle@TheIRD.org; Radio Interviews: Jeff Walton, jwalton@TheIRD.org; both with the Institute on Religion and Democracy

FT. WORTH, Texas, April 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- Several sweeping divestment proposals aimed against Israel have been defeated in committee at the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. They now appear to be dead. The proposals, which exclusively faulted Israel for strife in the Middle East, would have moved the church to divest itself of investments in companies that did business with Israel.

In addition to the defeat of the divestment proposals, the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) at first submitted, but then withdrew legislation to divest the United Methodist Church from Caterpillar, Inc. because it sells equipment to Israel. GBCS alleged that Caterpillar bulldozers support Israel's so-called occupation of the Palestinians.

The conference, United Methodism's chief rulemaking body, is a denominational gathering that occurs every four years and brings together delegates from around the world.

UM Action Executive Director Mark Tooley commented,

"Anti-Israel Divestment seems to have died within the United Methodist Church. Good Riddance!"

"We are heartened by the rejection of all five divestment petitions. Portraying Israel as the Western oppressor and the Palestinians as a Third World victim is not helpful in advocating justice and peace for all.

"The United Methodist Church has now joined all other Mainline denominations in refusing to target Israel for divestment.

"The decisions to withdraw an anti-Caterpillar resolution and the defeat of one-sided anti-Israel divestment resolutions in committee are decisive steps towards adopting a more equitable stance on the Middle East."

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