United Methodist Church votes to divest bonds of Israel and other occupier governments
by Theresa Basile
At General Conference this year, The United Methodist Church made a groundbreaking call for church investment managers to exclude the government bonds of three countries – Israel, Turkey, and Morocco – that are holding subject populations under prolonged military occupation. This is the first such divestment action by a major Christian denomination.
While much of the church's legislative session in Charlotte was focused on church restructuring and issues related to LGBTQ+ rights within the church, deep concern regarding Israel/Palestine also was a prominent theme of the two-week gathering.
Bishops, delegates, and church members participated in two public actions over the last week. At the Rally for Palestine on April 25, organized by UMKR, amid a remarkable lineup of speakers, many calls were made to "save Gaza" and "stop arming Israel." A silent vigil on April 30, organized by students from eight United Methodist seminaries, expressed solidarity with Palestinians and also with students advocating on campuses for Palestinian rights. Several statements and prayers by bishops and others in the plenary sessions have spoken of the suffering in Gaza and need for church action.
Participants stand with signs during a support gathering for students protesting violence in Palestine. Photo by Patrick Scriven (PacNW) for WJ Communications.
April 25, 2024 – The Rally for Palestine on April 25, 2024 is part of the Palestine theme heard and seen throughout the UM General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina (Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News)
Besides the resolution on government bonds, the church adopted several other important pieces of legislation related to Israel/Palestine and advocacy for Palestinian rights: addressing the detention and abuse of Palestinian children by the Israeli military, protecting the essential right to boycott that is under threat across the US, renewing the church's longstanding opposition to the entire Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and more.
Read more in UMKR's full report: