The Mitzvah of Social Witnessing

I caught this here on the issue of divesting from companies doing business with Israel:

...pro-Palestinian activists consider the withdrawal of funds an act of social witness.
The Rev. Walt Davis, of the Israel Palestine Mission Network, a pro-Palestinian Presbyterian group, argued the denomination would have divested years ago from the companies under church’s socially responsible investment guidelines “were it not for the Israel lobby.”
“They said first that it’s anti-Semitic, then that it’s anti-Israel, then that it delegitimizes Israel. It’s none of those,” Davis said. “It’s us being true to our values.”
But the liberal-leaning Americans for Peace Now, which calls for the evacuation of Jewish settlements in the territories and supports a Palestinian state, said the Presbyterian effort was “misguided and counterproductive.”

I really wonder how active this "social witnessing" is from persons and groups engaged in anti-Israel policy operations when in comes to the rest of the Middle East.

Like in Syria.

And it is also good to know from where the theological basis for this Christian social witnessing originates:

“You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

The territory of the Jewish national home.  Where Jesus, a Jew, who "was born in Bethlehem in Judea" walked and where his disciples walked such as John the Baptist who "came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea" as mentioned throughout the New Testament, like here in Acts 8:1-6:

the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria...

And even farther afield (Matthew 4:25):

Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan

So why are all these Christians seeking to dislodge Jews from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria?

Why can't they be true to their values?

Or at least our Jewish values?

It would be a mitzvah.

^

Right and Wrong

Bernard Avishai argues in The Nation against BDS.

Thanks there Bernard.

However, he has to still smash his enemies in Israel and writes there:

But what seems far more likely than a binational state, given the irredentist instincts of the Israeli right and the precedent of violent "steadfastness" of Palestinians (reinforced by the Islamist trend gripping many Palestinian young people), is a kind of Bosnian war. It could start tomorrow with, say, a riot among increasingly impoverished Jerusalem Arabs and spread like wildfire across the West Bank and Israeli Arab towns of the Triangle region. How will B and D do anything but make all Israelis feel demonized and prone to apocalyptic thinking and ethnic cleansing? Already, polls suggest that the Israeli center, which is skeptical of the settlers, feels "the West" does not appreciate what it is like to live with suicide bombers and missile attacks.

Er, this bit:

polls suggest that the Israeli center, which is skeptical of the settlers

is simply off-base.

Check my blog.

Will Judith Butler Please Butt Out

Here she defends the BSD campaign againsat Israel and argues:

"Part of me wants to joke--where would international human rights be without the Jews! We helped to make those rights, at Nuremberg..."


Sure we helped.

6,000,000 were exterminated trying to help.




(Kippah tip: AH)

Some Chametz on Pesach

Heavy-equipment giant Caterpillar opened negotiations with Christian groups threatening to divest from the company because of its sales to Israel.

The United Methodist Church has been contemplating a resolution to pull investments from Caterpillar due to the use of Caterpillar machinery in the West Bank. In a statement from Caterpillar, sent to Methodist leaders on April 7, the company said it would call on its clients to use their equipment in ways “consistent with human rights and requirements of international humanitarian law.”

Caterpillar also promised to look into engaging in “possible philanthropic activities in Palestinian areas.”

After receiving the statement, the Methodist Church withdrew a resolution targeting Caterpillar for divestment from the agenda of its quadrennial General Conference scheduled to open April 23.