PC (USA) Threatened with Arson

The Presbyterian Church (USA) office in Louisville recently received an anonymous, hand-written letter postmarked from Queens, NY, which threatens arson against individual Presbyterian Churches for "your anti-Israel and anti-Jewish attitudes."

In a 12 November 2004 news release, officials at the Presbyterian Center say the letter twice mentions a November 15 deadline for the church to "reverse" its Middle East policies "or else."

The church is taking the threat seriously, although General Assembly Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick says, "The overwhelming majority of these kinds of threats never come to fruition." Kirkpatrick immediately notified PC(USA) governing bodies in New York and later expanded the message to all denominational offices. His letter includes a number of extra safety precautions churches and other offices can take.

The threatening letter appears to be in reaction to a position the Presbyterian Church (USA) took in July 2004 at the 216th General Assembly, which directed the Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (MRTI) "to initiate a process of phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel, in accordance to General Assembly policy on social investing, and to make appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly Council for action."

Online resources for this issue:

• Original November 12 news release from Presbyterian Church (USA)
  


• PC(USA)'s story on Israeli divestment: Assembly Endorses Israel Divestment (from 216th General Assembly, 2 July 2004)
  


• Resolution passed by the GA (includes divestment language): Resolution on Israel and Palestine (2004) [Background document which includes rationale: Item 12-01 -- Overture 04-32 On Supporting the Geneva Accord, Urging Israel and Palestine to Implement the Accord.]
  


• Resolution passed by the GA on the Wall: Resolution on Calling for an End to the Construction of a Wall by the State of Israel [Background document which includes rationale: Item 12-02 -- Overture 04-33 On Calling for an End to the Construction of a Wall by the State of Israel.]
  


• Resolution passed by the GA on Christian Zionism: Resolution on Confronting Christian Zionism [Background document which includes rationale: Item 12-03 -- Overture 04-34 On Confronting Christian Zionism.]
  


• Study materials: Toward an Understanding of the Conflict between Israelis and Palestinians
  


• PC(USA) background new stories: Israel and Jewish Relations (includes numerous links to related stories)
  


• News story: "Criteria set for Israeli divestment targets: Specific companies should be identified by spring 2005"
  


• PC(USA)'s Ecumenical Partnerships: The Middle East Office
  

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