Unsettling Solutions

"As the church, we are once again being asked to strive to live out God's mission in the world. Much is before us. Much is at stake. With these efforts, we join with many others striving to bring peace with justice to the Holy Land."
Right Rev. Gary Paterson United Church of Canada

"Characterizing boycott efforts as anti-Semitic is an outrageous misuse of the term. The Israel lobby, unable to defend Israel's occupation and brutal treatment of the Palestinian people, can only slur those who support Palestinian human rights."
Tyler Levitan, Independent Jewish Voices

A letter under Rev. Paterson's signature went out in November to church members. It was an announcement of a freshening up and strengthening of earlier attempts to impose a boycott on Israeli companies and products that come out of the West Bank. The church has labelled this campaign: "Unsettling Goods". It is rather an unsettling campaign. Singling the State of Israel out for outright condemnation as an occupier-state intent on enslaving the Palestinians.

As though this is what the State of Israel wishes to preferentially busy itself with; pay enormously for defence and security rather than live peacefully side by side with a neighbour prepared to honour its presence as it is prepared to accept theirs in a spirit of equality accommodation. The reality is far, far different, and to bypass it is to belittle a nation's anxiety to protect its civilian population from ongoing violent attacks. And to ignore the existential threats verbalized by other neighbours.

Sympathy is with the Palestinians, not only those on the West Bank but those too in Gaze, ruled by Hamas, an organization recognized as one committed to terror by many foreign governments. Peace with the Palestinian Authority, if it is at all achievable, will incorporate the West Bank only, excluding Gaza, whose Hamas rulers have unequivocally ruled out peace with Israel, a nation they have pledged formally to destroy.

But in their sanctimonious wisdom the United Church of Canada holds Israel responsible for a situation where Palestinians have lived for generations as beggars picking the international community's pocket to sustain them as 'refugees'. They have chosen, through their leaders, to keep Israel at arm's length, and their leaders have turned down one peace agreement after another. When all of their demands have been met and still negotiations for peace are spurned the only conclusion that can be reached is that they aspire to restore to themselves the entire disputed territory.

This is a reality that is of obviously little interest to the United Church of Canada. They have decided to select three main Israeli manufacturers: cosmetics firm Ahava, exporting skin-care products made of Dead Sea mud; Keter Plastics, manufacturer of sheds, fences and outdoor furniture; and SodaStream, makers of high-end kitchen devices for the carbonation of tap water. Church faithful are exhorted to boycott retailers like Canadian Tire, The Bay, Home Depot and Walmart, which carry those products.

The hoped-for campaign meant to persuade Canadian Tire, The Bay, Home Depot and Walmart that they would be far, far better off, pleasing their customers by refusing to continue carrying these products to create even further injury to Israel. There is nothing new about this focus on Israel as an occupier whose actions are to be condemned for their brutal treatment of the Palestinians. These incendiary descriptions are popular within left-social circles in demonizing Israel.

But they are not to be thought of as anti-Semitic, goodness gracious, no! "It singles out Israel in a way that is fundamentally unhelpful" points out Shimon Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. A coalition of nine Liberal and Conservative senators appear to wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Fogel; they have drafted a letter in condemnation of the campaign for its implication that "Israel is guilty and the Palestinians the only injured party".

But discontent with the social-action activities of the church also is reflected from within the church. Many within the UCC point out their unhappiness with their church's silence on the plight of Christians in the Middle East, targeted for violence and far worse, by Islamists. Others will go out of their way to seek out these products in the spirit of ecumenism. And others yet conduct their own campaigns to counter that of the UCC hierarchy....

"With the official launch this week of its boycott against three Israeli products, the General Council of the United Church of Canada (UCC) has demonstrated that it is more interested in advancing anti-Israel ideology than living up to its ecumenical commitments.
"In calling for a boycott of Soda-Stream products, the council is actually working to shut down a factory that employees over 800 Arab Palestinians with wages and benefits that are double the average in the West Bank.
"The Israel-Palestine Chamber of Commerce reports that 11,000 employees out of 17,000 (over 60%) working in 788 Israeli enterprises in the West Bank are Arabs. But the UCC General Council still wants to tear down this economic progress.
"Meanwhile, the heart and soul of the UCC is not embracing this boycott. Most congregations are much more focused on their ministry, and churches are voting with their money by reducing contributions to the Mission and Service Fund; a number of churches and the Ottawa Presbytery have declared they will not accept this boycott policy.
"Still further, a lot of congregations are strengthening ties with the Jewish community in their own neighbourhoods and distancing themselves from the boycott."
Rev.Andrew Love, United Church Minister, Ottawa