NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — Several groups within the United Methodist Church have responded to Israel's clampdown on the Gaza Strip by urging divestment in companies that do business with Israel and publishing media critical of the Jewish state.
The United Methodist Board of Church and Society, the denomination's lobbying arm, will bring a resolution to the United Methodist General Conference in April urging church members and denominational agencies to divest from Caterpillar Inc., a manufacturer of heavy equipment that Israel uses to raze Palestinian properties it believes are connected to terrorist activities, according to Mark Tooley of The Institute on Religion and Democracy.
The United Methodist Women's Division, meanwhile, has published a children's book and a missions study that portray Israel as an oppressor of Palestinians and aggressor in Middle East turmoil, while barely mentioning the problem of terrorism Israel faces, Tooley said in a press statement.
“Church agencies should strive towards fairness and factuality,” Tooley said. “Targeting Israel as the Middle East's unique villain, while virtually ignoring terrorism and radical Islam, is a gross disservice to members of The United Methodist Church and to the wider public.”