JULY 2015 | IFPB NEWSLETTER www.ifpb.org
An inside look at the UCC vote to divest from the Israeli occupation
Mike Daly, Program Coordinator of Interfaith Peace-Builders, conducted this interview of recent IFPB board member Rev. Allie Perry for Mondoweiss. Allie was a delegate at the United Church of Christ (UCC) General Synod and supported the resolution calling on the UCC “To Take Actions Toward a Just Peace in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Here’s one exchange from the interview.
Mike: This seems like a clear victory for justice and for our growing movement in North America to align our values with our actions in Palestine. I’m curious, for you, as a UCC minister, what does the vote mean to you personally?
Allie: As a member of the United Church of Christ, it is incredibly moving and very important. I put a lot of work into this as a member of the Palestine/Israel Network and it makes me very proud of our denomination, both in terms of our process and our willingness to risk the kind of criticism that is coming back at us now, as it did for the Presbyterians.
10 years ago when the UCC passed a previous resolution on Israel/Palestine, denouncing violence on all sides, opposing the occupation, and calling for economic leverage, we also passed a resolution supporting equal marriage. Fast forward to 2015: the first day of this General Synod was the day the Supreme Court announced their decision on equal marriage. There is a kind of parallel here, in that these things are a process; it happens over time. In fact the 2005 resolution on Israel and Palestine was the nineteenth resolution that the UCC had passed since 1967; this one makes our 20th. It means a lot to me that the UCC will take controversial positions, will take a position knowing it will receive criticism, while acting in good faith. In 2005 there were people who left the UCC for its stand on equal marriage; there may be people who leave because of this resolution. That’s unfortunate, but this is clearly a stand for human rights, against violence.
The fact the vote is so overwhelming . . . It’s about momentum, it’s about building a movement. It just gives me a lot of encouragement and a lot of hope. It’s an affirmation of all the hard work, all the conference calls, everything leading up to this. All of that preparation mattered. And we have to continue that work.
For the rest of the interview, including much more information on the ins and outs of discussion at the UCC General Synod and what we can do to support the UCC vote, see the full interview on Mondoweiss here:http://mondoweiss.net/2015/07/inside-israeli-occupation.
Recent Delegate Advocacy & Education Efforts
IFPB delegates return from the delegation informed and inspired to take action to educate others and work for justice. Here are things other former IFPB delegates have done recently.
Time for a Jewish Reformation? – by Mark Braverman.
Anti-BDS Provision Signed by Obama Won’t Stop This Movement – by Josh Ruebner.
19 Reps Stand Up for Palestinian Children behind Bars – by Kate Gould.
Israel’s 2014 Assault on Gaza Violates International Law – by Cathy Sultan
Following Through on Pledges to Gaza – by Alice Su.
See our advocacy blog for more even highlights from IFPB delegate activism: http://ifpbea.tumblr.com/
Anniversary Roundup
This month witnessed two major anniversaries — the 10th year of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and the one-year anniversary of last summer’s Israeli assault on Gaza. In case you missed it, here are some good resources on both.
BDS@10
A Decade of Effective Solidarity – BDS National Committee. An interactive grid of key successes to date.
Top 100 US Victories – US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. A list of campus, cultural, faith-based, and more BDS successes.
Interview with Omar Barghouti – Mondoweiss. All IFPB delegations benefit from meeting Omar Barghouti; here’s an interview looking back on 10 years of work to date.
Divestment Movement Gains Steam – Al-Jazeera America. Former IFPB delegate and current JVP media coordinator Naomi Dann is featured in this short profile on BDS.
Gaza: One Year Later
An unnatural disaster: What I saw in Gaza. Aura Kanegis from AFSC.
Remembering Gaza’s victims. Photos by Anne Paq.
Israel Will Invade Gaza Again–the Only Question is How Soon. Noura Erakat in the Nation.