UCC vote in -
YES to Economic Action!!!
YES to Economic Action!!!
The United Church of Canada has been in the spotlight for the past few months following the May release of the report of its Working Group on Israel/Palestine Policy. One of the most controversial recommentions in the report was the call for an economic boycott focused exclusively on settlement products. Their recommendation was for the United Church to establish "a church-wide campaign of economic action directed against one or more settlement products that can be identified as produced in or related to the settlements or the occupied territories."
After discussions and intense debate over a period of 3 days, the United Church of Canada, at its General Council meeting, voted in favour in support of the Israel/Palestine Working Group’s recommendation of economic action.
Rev. Bruce Gregersen, Senior Program Officer, explains the United Church of Canada's action to ask its members to avoid buying goods produced in the illegal Israeli settlements, but in the end, it will be a matter of individual choice.
(Please click on the following link to view his interview.)
Below is a transcript of Rev. Gregerson’s interview withCatherine Rodd, Web Report for UCC GC41
CR – What have the commissioners decided with relation to Israel / Palestine?
BG - This is a conclusion, of a fairly intense debate, that has covered a period of time of over 3 days. In the series of motions, which in the end, a majority of commissioners voted, fairly substantially for, I guess the estimate might be 75-80%, in favour of the council first approved a series of recommendations which on the council doc where called 3 to 13. Two of those were added. One of them particular recognized the questions of incitement against Jews and against Israel and hatred of Israel as one of the causes that needs to be lifted up of the injustice and lack of peace in the region. But through it all, the main focus of the report, dealing with the occupation, was maintained. And in that, the council affirmed one of the key recommendations, and perhaps one of the most controversial recommendations, that it would support economic action against settlement products as a key direction that the church would undertake.
CR – The wording is not in the report, but there are people that what we are taking about is a boycott.
BG - In the report itself, what the working group recommended, is that we do not support the overall Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Because there are significant challenges in that movement and it is outlined in the report. So it was intentional for the working group to say economic action. Is it a boycott? Well I think someone would need to reflect on that. But we don’t want to confusion our action with the overall Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movements. But it is clearly, economic actin. It is clearly inviting people to not buy settlement products because they represent illegal goods produced in illegal communities, in illegal settlements, in the West Bank.
CR – What does this mean for United Church congregations and United Church people across the country?
BG - In respect to the overall report, the council added a small amendment to that, that said that the report will be sent out to the church for study, reflection and personal action. The intent of that, I think, was to reinforce the understanding, that in the United Church of Canada, we don’t tell people what to do. What we will do in this is we will invite consideration of it. We will encourage people to study, to reflect, on the nature of the occupation, on the situation in the Middle East and then choose to take action. But in the United Church of Canada, it is individuals’ choice on what they will do.
After discussions and intense debate over a period of 3 days, the United Church of Canada, at its General Council meeting, voted in favour in support of the Israel/Palestine Working Group’s recommendation of economic action.
Rev. Bruce Gregersen, Senior Program Officer, explains the United Church of Canada's action to ask its members to avoid buying goods produced in the illegal Israeli settlements, but in the end, it will be a matter of individual choice.
(Please click on the following link to view his interview.)
Below is a transcript of Rev. Gregerson’s interview withCatherine Rodd, Web Report for UCC GC41
CR – What have the commissioners decided with relation to Israel / Palestine?
BG - This is a conclusion, of a fairly intense debate, that has covered a period of time of over 3 days. In the series of motions, which in the end, a majority of commissioners voted, fairly substantially for, I guess the estimate might be 75-80%, in favour of the council first approved a series of recommendations which on the council doc where called 3 to 13. Two of those were added. One of them particular recognized the questions of incitement against Jews and against Israel and hatred of Israel as one of the causes that needs to be lifted up of the injustice and lack of peace in the region. But through it all, the main focus of the report, dealing with the occupation, was maintained. And in that, the council affirmed one of the key recommendations, and perhaps one of the most controversial recommendations, that it would support economic action against settlement products as a key direction that the church would undertake.
CR – The wording is not in the report, but there are people that what we are taking about is a boycott.
BG - In the report itself, what the working group recommended, is that we do not support the overall Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Because there are significant challenges in that movement and it is outlined in the report. So it was intentional for the working group to say economic action. Is it a boycott? Well I think someone would need to reflect on that. But we don’t want to confusion our action with the overall Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movements. But it is clearly, economic actin. It is clearly inviting people to not buy settlement products because they represent illegal goods produced in illegal communities, in illegal settlements, in the West Bank.
CR – What does this mean for United Church congregations and United Church people across the country?
BG - In respect to the overall report, the council added a small amendment to that, that said that the report will be sent out to the church for study, reflection and personal action. The intent of that, I think, was to reinforce the understanding, that in the United Church of Canada, we don’t tell people what to do. What we will do in this is we will invite consideration of it. We will encourage people to study, to reflect, on the nature of the occupation, on the situation in the Middle East and then choose to take action. But in the United Church of Canada, it is individuals’ choice on what they will do.
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