Chicago, USA - A lifelong Presbyterian and onetime seminarian, Pauline Coffman believes that Israel's occupation of Palestinian land is an insurmountable barrier to peace in the Middle East. Rabbi Ira Youdovin, executive vice president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis, believes peace must prevail before Israel withdraws from the West Bank.
Such a fundamental impasse lies at the heart of the explosive issue facing Chicago Presbyterians on Tuesday. Following more than a year of tense discussion among church brethren and Jewish leaders, at least 300 commissioners from 106 congregations will debate whether to affirm the national church's effort to exert pressure on companies that profit from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by threatening to divest its stock in them. Companies that would be targeted provide weapons and other equipment in the conflict, including Motorola, and Caterpillar in Peoria.
They will also discuss whether to recommend investing in hospitals, schools and weekend retreats that foster peace in the Middle East--a strategy adopted earlier this year by Fourth Presbyterian Church, one of Chicago's largest and most affluent congregations.
Both motions, if approved Tuesday, will be submitted to the Presbyterian Church USA's General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala., in June.
Supporters of the Presbyterian campaign acknowledge the direct economic threat imposed on Israel, the U.S. or any company would be minuscule--a fact that may change as other mainline Protestant groups including the United Church of Christ and World Council of Churches also explore the measure.
"We don't have enough money to prevail in terms of a threat of removing our money, but it's a moral stand," said Coffman, who expects to vote in favor of the divestment process Tuesday. "The goal is to draw attention to the fact that we have serious concerns about home demolitions, about the occupation, about the settlements in Palestinian territories."
Opponents of economic pressure warn that such a strategy would backfire and that a show of support from Chicago--the seventh largest presbytery in the denomination--would further strain relations between Presbyterians and Jews. Some accuse the church of perpetuating a new anti-Semitism by uniting with organizations that oppose Israel's existence or a viable two-state solution.
"If the presbytery votes to endorse divestment, it's going to be tough to talk to Presbyterians about anything," said Youdovin.
"The key is keeping it going," Youdovin said. "If the Presbytery separates itself from divestment, then channels that have been opened, the friendships, can be redirected about things we should be talking about."
Intense dialogue between local Presbyterians and Jews began shortly after the church's General Assembly approved three measures in June 2004 aimed at ending conflict in the Middle East.
Two recommendations came from the Chicago Presbytery--one condemning Israel's construction of a wall that has infringed on Palestinian land and blocked access to jobs, churches and schools; the other decrying Christian Zionism, a belief that the creation of Israel fulfills biblical prophecy. The divestment proposal came out of Florida.
The dialogue intensified in October 2004, when a Presbyterian theologian who met with leaders of the militant faction Hezbollah said Islamic leaders were easier to talk to than Jews.
Jewish leaders decried another meeting with Hezbollah last month involving Rev. Bob Reynolds, head of the Chicago Presbytery.
"Jews do care about people who meet with Hezbollah," Youdovin said. "Hezbollah kills Jews."
But not all Jews are opposed to the Presbyterian Church's methods of pursuing peace, and not all Presbyterians support them. Advocacy groups such as Not In My Name, a Chicago-based Jewish group established in 2000 to oppose the occupation, endorse the process of divestment.
Lynn Pollack, a member of Not In My Name, said it does not matter if divestment jeopardizes interfaith relations.
"I'm not interested in salvaging relationships if it means sacrificing the truth for an open discussion," Pollack said.
Rev. David Perkins of Highland Park Presbyterian Church hopes Chicago will endorse a more moderate measure that does not include divestment.
Reynolds, who has not shared his position on divestment, said he would address the Hezbollah controversy Tuesday but hopes it does not distract the commissioners from deeply contemplating the issue before them.
"Dissension is a means of discerning God's truth," he said, quoting 16th Century theologian Heinrich Bullinger. "I'm hoping for a truthful outcome."