General Assembly Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase, trying to reduce the damage caused by the 2004 General Assembly's resolution calling for "phased selective divestment" of Presbyterian Church (USA) holdings in corporations doing business with Israel, on Wednesday presented an alternative proposal to the General Assembly Council...

...Ufford-Chase's 1,500-word draft would ask the General Assembly to answer more than two dozen overtures on the 2004 resolution by taking divestment off the table – for the time being. The original resolution has been widely criticized by Jewish groups and Christians who believe that the PCUSA is unfairly singling out Israel for condemnation in its ongoing confrontations with Islamic Palestinians.

The gist of Ufford-Chase's proposal is that a task force, appointed by himself and the moderator of the 217th General Assembly, begin monitoring the fast-changing events in the Middle East.

That task force would work in conjunction with the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy. Ufford-Chase did not take note of the fact that ACSWP helped contribute to the worldwide denunciation of the PCUSA divestment policy by sponsoring a trip to the Middle East and having some of its members meet with terrorist leaders and praise them for their work....

I lack the words to express my profound disappointment and sorrow at the actions of the General Assembly Council today, April 28, 2006. The Presbyterian News Service is carrying a story by Alexa Smith, “GAC approves suggestion of task force on Israel/Palestine”.

There are more than two dozen overtures on divestment (ranging from endorsement to revocation), providing an opportunity for General Assembly commissioners to actually do their jobs and deliberate on the issue, perhaps, God forbid, even requiring complete and fair information. (Yes, I know this would be a departure from time honored tradition when it comes to Middle East issues . . . but it might be time for a change). Instead of encouraging commissioners to fulfill their responsibilities, the GAC has decided to recommend yet another task force. (What shall we call this one? Perhaps The Juden Hass Task Force?)

At best one could regard this as a delaying tactic – at least until one finds the devil in the details. First, and most importantly:

"The moderator’s proposal will not stall the work of the PC(USA)’s Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (MRTI), which is already meeting with executives of some of the targeted companies, including Motorola, which provides cell-phone service to settlers and to the Israeli military."

What a relief to know that such a task force would in no way interfere with the work of the MRTI in pressuring companies that do business with Israel. In other words, the divestment process (as laid out in Presbyterian polity) will continue apace. Since the very great harm of divestment is far more rhetorical than financial, this recommendation from the GAC would mean that the PC(USA)’s anti-Israel activism would remain in place...

...It is self-evident that those who sent overtures asking that divestment be aborted intended for this issue to be debated on the floor of the 217th General Assembly. It is also self-evident that those of us who find the actions of the 216th General Assembly on this topic to be morally repugnant, extraordinarily biased, and factually confused, also earnestly desired that the issue be debated by the proper Presbyterian deliberating body. What provoked profound disappointment and sorrow was the fact that this vote was unanimous. There was apparently not one person who regarded this utterly anti-Presbyterian move as inappropriate. There could not be found one single person on the GAC who dissented. Not one.