Understanding United Methodist DivestmentGENERAL CONFERENCE ACTIONS ON PROPOSALS REGARDING ISRAEL/PALESTINE AND DIVESTMENT
Preface
The 2008 General Conference affirmed its stance against Israel’s expansion beyond its 1967 borders and against the settlements established on occupied Palestinian land. It overwhelmingly rejected a proposal entitled “Oppose Divestment from Israel.” It rejected a call for United Methodists to withdraw from the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and to forbid agency staff from participating on its board. It rejected a motion to forbid comparisons of Israel with apartheid South Africa. It expanded a call to accept all UN Security Council resolutions related to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, by removing the limiting words Security Council and affirming all UN resolutions on the conflict. These would include resolutions requiring the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes and requiring Israel to withdraw from all Palestinian lands occupied since 1967.
It also voted against divestment measures, all of which were rejected by the Committee on Finance and Administration. The two pro-divestment measures which did make it to the floor…one on the Middle East and one on Sudan… were bundled with many unrelated bills reported out by committees, and the conference accepted the committee recommendations. The issue of divestment from companies that sustain Israel’s occupation was never debated or discussed by the full plenary session of the conference.
The resolution to Oppose Divestment from Israel was referred to the Committee on Church and Society, which rejected it. There were no proposals to divest from Israel, but the resolutions to divest from companies that sustain Israel’s occupation went to the Committee on Financial Administration, where a subcommittee of 8 people rejected them. The full committee concurred. This committee also received Sudan divestment proposals, rejecting one and approving another by a vote of 33-20. This was then affirmed by the General Conference.
Below are specific measures by title, sponsor and disposition.
Divestment
We call upon the United Methodist General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits and the General Council on Finance and Administration to review and identify companies that profit from sales of products or services that cause harm to Palestinians and Israelis and begin phased selective divestment from these companies.Submitted by:
North Central New York Annual Conference (Annual Conference)
Dale E. Austin, NY, USACalifornia-Nevada Annual Conference (Annual Conference)
Roger Morimoto
West Sacramento, CA, USABaltimore-Washington Annual Conference (Annual Conference)
Albert L. Clipp
Martinsburg, WV, USAOregon-Idaho Annual Conference (Annual Conference)
Laura Jaquith Bartlett
Lebanon, OR, USACalifornia-Pacific Annual Conference (Annual Conference)
Bob L. Isip
Torrance, CA, USA
Referred to the Committee on Financial Administration. Rejected 50-0 after a subcommittee of 8 people recommended rejection. Not assigned to a consent calendar. Not considered by the full conference.
Promoting Peace Through Ethical Investment
The 2008 General Conference calls upon the UMC General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, and all general boards, administrative agencies and institutions, including hospitals, homes, educational institutions, annual conferences, foundations, and local churches to undertake the following process of phased, selective divestment from companies that support the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and other violations of human rights in Palestine/Israel:
1) review their investment portfolios and within six months identify a list of
companies that are supporting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories or that violate the human rights of Palestinians or Israelis, and to publish, maintain and distribute the list and constantly re-evaluate the relationship of companies to the occupation and human rights violations in the region, guided by Resolution #213, “Investment Ethics” (2004 United Methodist Book of Resolutions, p. 554-559),
2) before placing a company on the list, the Board of Pensions in cooperation with other general agencies should write to that company, explain our concerns as United Methodists, and request a change in the company’s relationship to the Israeli occupation.
3) If no change in policy is reported within 60 days as being taken or contemplated, the company’s name should be placed immediately on the divestment list along with explanatory details and shared with the whole church;
4) Once a company is placed on the list, no further stock shall be purchased until that company ends its activities that support the occupation; United Methodist general agencies and institutions should use currently held stock for shareholder actions and other forms of socially responsible action in keeping with the Investment Ethics policy, #213 in the 2004 Book of Resolutions. If a company continues to refuse to change its activities then after two years, all remaining stock shall be divested until such time as the company ends its support of Israel’s occupation;
5) That the General Boards of Pensions & Health Benefits, Global Ministries, and Church & Society, work in cooperation with the World Council of Churches and other ecumenical and human rights partners to coordinate nonviolent, moral efforts to end all corporate support for occupation and human rights violations in Palestine/Israel;
The United Methodist Church at the same time supports positive investments that promote capacity building in partnership with poor and marginalized communities in Palestine/Israel, that fulfill the Call to Action in 2004 Resolution #206 “Economic Justice for a New Millennium” (#206, p. 538),
We ask every United Methodist to prayerfully consider taking the same action with the personal and pension assets under their control, and request that other investment manages such as mutual fund companies, pension plans, and bank trustees to the same.
We affirm our longstanding support of Christian presence in the Holy Land through forms of economic support and investment.
Submitted by:
Methodist Federation for Social Action
Kathryn J. Johnson
Washington, DC, USA
Referred to the Committee on Financial Administration. Rejected 50-0. Not assigned to a consent calendar.
Peace and Justice in the Holy Land
Add to Resolution 312:
Be it Resolved that the 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church calls upon the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits and the General Council on Finance & Administration to review the investments of the church and undertake a process of phased, selective divestment (beginning with dialogue) from any multinational corporations profiting from activities, including: any violence in the area; demolition of Palestinian homes; construction of the wall; continuing the occupation; institutions that perpetrate or support violence against Israelis, or; confiscation of Palestinian land; following United Methodist guidelines which require a period of information gathering and evaluation of alternative means of economic intervention.
Be it further resolved, that the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits, using traditional shareholder advocacy tools, request that selected corporations doing business in Israel and Palestine evaluate the implementation of their respective Codes of Business Conduct and prepare a public report documenting the findings. The General Board, in keeping with its practice of public disclosure and transparency, will report actions to influence corporate behavior on its web site.
Be it further resolved, that the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits and other investors associated with The United Methodist Church invest in “companies . . . that make a positive contribution toward the realization of goals outlined in the Social Principles . . .” and that divestment be considered when other significant shareholder actions have been exhausted. The General Board of Pensions and Health benefits is encouraged to use its financial leverage to push for high standards of accountability among corporations conducting business in regions of the world with civil and political unrest.
Be it further resolved, that the 2008 General Conference calls upon the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society to initiate a study of the feasibility of advocating for other organizations to become involved in phased, selective divestment from any multinational corporations profiting from the illegal and violent activities noted above. We pray that this resolution will give hope to Palestinians and Israelis working for peace, including our Christian counterparts in the region, and let them know they are not forgotten.
Submitted by:
Northern Illinois Annual Conference (Annual Conference)
Jack E. Ryder
LaGrange Park, IL, USA
Referred to the Committee on Financial Administration. Rejected 50-0. Placed on consent calendar and bundled with many other unrelated items. Plenary Vote to affirm rejection: 826 For; 38 Against
Oppose Divestment from Israel
Be it therefore resolved, that the 2008 General Conference of The United Methodist Church goes on the record as opposing any effort to selectively target Israel for divestment; and
Be it further resolved, that we affirm Israel’s right to exist within secure borders and to use appropriate means to protect its citizens from terrorism as non-negotiable; and
Be it further resolved, that we decry the terrorist violence of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other extremist groups in the region; and
Be it further resolved, that we affirm our commitment to justice, human rights, and self-determination for all people in the region, including Israelis, Palestinians, religious minorities in other Middle Eastern nations, and Arabs and other minorities within Israel.
Submitted by:
John S.A. Lomperis
Washington, DC, USA
Referred to the Committee on Church and Society. Rejected 48-10. Placed on the consent calendar and bundled with other unrelated items. Plenary Vote to affirm rejection: 763 For; 38 Against
RELATED LEGISLATION
Withdraw from Campaign
The General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) shall withdraw its membership in the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and end any financial contributions, including staff participation.
Submitted by:
Helen Rhea Stumbo
Fort Valley, GA, USA
Referred to the Committee on Global Ministries, which voted 67-5 to reject the petition. Placed on the consent calendar and bundled with other unrelated items. Plenary Voted 842 – 24 to affirm rejection.
Divestment and Sudan
The 2008 General Conference directs general agencies, annual conferences, local churches, Conference Boards of Pensions, United Methodist Foundations and all others who invest United Methodist funds to divest of all equity and debt holdings of companies doing business with the government of Sudan.
[see petition 80835]
Submitted by:
General Board of Church and Society (General Agency)
James Winkler
Washington, DC, USAOregon-Idaho Annual Conference (Annual Conference)
Laura Jaquith Bartlett
Lebanon, OR, USA
Referred to the Committee on Financial Administration, which voted 62-0 to reject it. This was placed on the consent calendar, bundled with other unrelated items and voted on by the full conference which voted 826-38 to reject the petition as the committee recommended. Plenary Vote to affirm rejection: 826 For; 38 Against
Divestment and Sudan
The United Methodist Church should not own or profit from companies whose products or services are used by corrupt governments or regimes to murder, suppress, or displace its citizens and neighbors. Therefore, we ask every United Methodist to prayerfully consider divestment of the personal and pension assets under their control from any company doing business with the government of Sudan, and request that other investment managers such as mutual fund companies, pension plans and bank trustees do the same.
Submitted by:
General Board of Church and Society (General Agency)
James Winkler
Washington, DC, USA
Referred to the Committee on Financial Administration which voted to accept an amended version by a vote of 33 for and 20 against.
The Petition was amended as follows:
In the fifth line of the last paragraph of the petition, insert the following text after, "Therefore, we ask every United Methodist" "member, and United Methodist general board and agency, administrative agency and institution, including hospitals, homes and educational institutions, annual conferences, foundations and local churches" to prayerfully consider...”
Plenary (full conference) voted 710-83 to accept this proposal.
Israel and Apartheid
Therefore, be it resolved, that we reject rhetoric that simplistically equates Israel with apartheid South Africa.
Submitted by:
John S.A. Lomperis
Washington, DC, USA
This measure was assigned to the Committee on Church and Society which voted 46-11 to reject it. It was rejected by a show of hands in the full Conference.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Be it further resolved, that The United Methodist Church call upon the United States, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to accept the authority of Security Council resolutions, to refrain from vetoing resolutions, and abide by Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, as well as all other relevant Security Council UN resolutions and International Court of Justice rulings, that provide a framework for bringing this conflict to a just and permanent end.
Submitted by:
General Board of Global Ministries (General Agency)
R. Randy Day
New York, NY, USA
This resolution affirmed an earlier resolution adopted by the General Conference in 2000, and expanded its support of relevant Security Council resolutions to include all UN resolutions that provide a framework for bringing this conflict to a just and permanent end. It affirmed International Court of Justice rulings related to Israel and Palestine, including the Court’s ruling that Israel’s wall annexing Palestinian land to Israel is illegal.
It was adopted by a vote of 37-19 in Committee. It was accepted by the full conference 528-273.
Middle East Conflict
WHEREAS The United Methodist Church has affirmed its commitment to relationship and dialogue with people of other religious traditions (“Called to be Neighbors and Witnesses—Guidelines for Interreligious Relationships” 2004 Book of Resolutions, page 252ff), and
WHEREAS The United Methodist Church has affirmed its commitment to relationship and dialogue with Jewish people (“Building New Bridges in Hope” 2004 Book of Resolutions, page 243ff), and
WHEREAS The United Methodist Church has affirmed its commitment to relationship and dialogue with Muslims (“Our Muslim Neighbors” 2004 Book of Resolutions, page 797ff), and
WHEREAS The United Methodist Church has affirmed its support for the boundaries of the State of Israel internationally recognized prior to the 1967 war in the Middle East (“United Nations Resolutions on the Israel-Palestine Conflict” 2004 Book of Resolutions, page 811ff), and
WHEREAS The United Methodist Church has strongly stated its opposition to Israeli settlements in occupied territories (“Opposition to Israeli Settlements in Palestinian Land” 2004 Book of Resolutions, page 787ff)
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED That The United Methodist Church continues to advocate for a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians through negotiation and diplomacy rather than through methods of violence and coercion.
Submitted by:
General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (General Agency)
Larry D. Pickens
Anchorage, AK, USA
This resolution was referred to the Committee on Church and Society, which approved it by a vote of 56-1. This recommendation to approve was affirmed by the full Conference in a vote of 839-44.