Episcopal Peace Fellowship Calls for Sanctions Against Israel

The leadership of an unofficial but influential caucus group within the Episcopal Church has called for economic sanctions against Israel. The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF) voted May 5 to endorse a statement that also calls for boycotts and divestment against the Jewish-majority state.

“The NEC of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, in support of the principles of the Kairos Palestinian Document 4.2.6. endorses the application of divestment and an economic and commercial boycott of products linked to oppression of Palestinian people and occupation of their land,” the EPF statement reads.

The EPF describes itself as an independent, member-funded association of Episcopalians whose mission is to “do justice, dismantle violence and strive to be peacemakers.” Originally founded as the Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship in 1939, EPF supported conscientious objectors in World War II, urging the whole church to do so. At that time members were required to sign a commitment that their conscience compelled them to “refuse to participate in or give moral support to any war.”

Over a dozen Episcopal clergy serve on EPF’s Executive Council, including retiring Minnesota Bishop Jim Jelinek. The vote to adopt the statement was eight in favor, two against, one abstention.

The Kairos Palestinian Document is a call by Palestinian Christian leaders made in late 2009 that declares the Israeli occupation of Palestine a “sin against God” and against humanity. The document calls on churches to work for a boycott of Israel and claims that leading Israel into isolation is the only way there can be a peaceful solution in the Holy Land.

While the EPF statement notes an “ongoing cycle of violence – including Palestinian terrorist bombing” and “military and economic violence of the government of Israel against Palestinians,” the actions prescribed are solely against Israel.

“Economic sanctions can inspire a more useful dialog and negotiation towards a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” the statement reads, indicating that increased pressure on Israel to make concessions is the way to peace. “Respect for the dignity of every human being, alongside a vision to put aside the violence of terrorism, oppression and military force is key to moving negotiations forward for a lasting peace for all involved.”

Not all EPF members agree with the Executive Council’s move. According to the Episcopal News Service, Bishop John Bryson Chane of Washington, a member of EPF since 1969, said that a strategy based on sanctions is “flawed and dangerously unhelpful at this particular time in history” and would “further hurt the critical development of the economy of Palestine and increase the marginalization of the Palestinian people.”

The EPF is one of several liberal caucus groups within the Episcopal Church operating under the umbrella of the Consultation. During the 2009 Episcopal Church General Convention, the Consultation sponsored or endorsed several anti-Israel proposals that were folded into Resolution B027, legislation that singled out Israel but did not formally endorse a Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions (BDS) strategy. B027 passed the House of Deputies, but was rejected by the House of Bishops.

While General Convention has declined to endorse a BDS strategy, other mainline churches have come closer. In 2004, the nearly 3 million member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) became the first and only U.S. religious body to adopt a divestment policy against Israel. After a large uproar from Christians and Jews, including a personal appeal from Presbyterian former CIA Director James Woolsey at the church’s General Assembly in 2006, the divestment stance was repealed.

Controversy over the church’s stance towards Israel may reignite at the 2010 General Assembly, following the introduction of a proposal by a special PCUSA study committee that the denomination take a strident anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian stance. The committee’s report points to the Israeli presence on the West Bank as the great evil in the Middle East. It urges the United States to “employ the strategic use of influence and the withholding of financial and military aid to enforce Israel’s compliance” with demands for withdrawal. The committee recommends no similar pressure against any other actors in the region.

A series of resolutions from regional United Methodist annual conferences have also been introduced over the last decade calling for a divestment process from companies allegedly supporting the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. United Methodist resolutions comparable to the 2004 PC(USA) policy have failed in all but a handful of annual conferences, including the church’s most recent 2008 General Conference.