Canada's largest Protestant church set to boycott Israeli settlement products
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies warns United Church of Canada's against 'imbalanced' decision.

By
JTA

Aug.16, 2012
11:37 PM

Canada's largest Protestant church stands poised to approve a boycott of products made in Israeli settlements.


Meeting in Ottawa, members of the United Church of Canada's General
Council on Wednesday affirmed a resolution supporting a boycott of goods
produced in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem.


A final vote is scheduled for Friday, when the church's governing
General Council can choose to accept or reject an overall motion that
includes recommendations contained in a report on church policy on the
Israel-Palestinian conflict.

But the tone seems to be set, said church official Bruce Gregersen.


"The mind of the council is pretty clear," he told Postmedia News. "The
main recommendations were approved by a fairly overwhelming vote."


The key proposal affirmed Wednesday calls on church members "to avoid
any and all products produced in the settlements"; requests that the
Canadian government ensure that "all products produced in the
settlements be labeled clearly and differently from products of Israel";
and requests that products produced in the settlements not be given
preferential treatment under the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement.

The proposal is not anti-Israel, Gregersen said.


"We are solidly behind Israel as a legitimate Jewish state. We don't
want to demonize in any way Israel or Jewish people," he said. "The
problem is the occupation and the settlements."

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said it was "outraged" at the development.


"This decision represents a radical shift in the United Church's
policies, betrays the views of the vast majority of its members and
flies in the face of decades of constructive interfaith dialogue," a
center statement said.


The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies said it is
troubled, as well. In a statement, its president and CEO, Avi Benlolo,
said that "I don't know if church members truly understand how utterly
offensive and imbalanced this proposal is, or whether a latent
anti-Semitism within the church is slowly coming back to life."
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/canada-s-largest-protestant-church-set-to-boycott-israeli-settlement-products-1.458860