Pax Christi USA is honored to be among the first signatories to this statement below from Christian groups calling for boycott and divestment from companies that support Israel’s military oppression of Palestinians.
For years, many groups, including member organizations of Pax Christi International, have endorsed the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) campaign against businesses that bolster the illegal settlements in Palestinian territories. Wider boycotts — such as the ones demanded at university encampments around the US and the world — are now necessary to halt the ongoing carnage in Gaza.
As Christian organizations, we urge a robust boycott and divestment of the companies supporting the Israeli military system directly engaged in Israel’s “plausible genocide” of Palestinians.
As Christians, we seek to illuminate the sacred dignity of all people. We have tirelessly advocated for our U.S. government to stop the mass slaughter in Palestine. We have persistently engaged in a broad range of nonviolent resistance actions and risk-taking toward this end. Yet, more leverage is needed. A core practice of nonviolent resistance, including within our tradition, is economic non-cooperation with injustice. Jesus literally turned over the tables of economic exploitation in the Temple. Also, during the apartheid regime in South Africa, this strategy of boycott and divestment was critical to shifting the power dynamics and ending apartheid.
This strategy of nonviolent non-cooperation is not against the existence of the state of Israel, but is for the sacred dignity, well-being, security, and human rights of all Palestinians as well as Israelis.
We urge the following boycott and divestment strategies:
- Take the pledge to become an apartheid-free community — Faith communities, congregations, and organizations as well as other communities of conscience are invited to sign the pledge to dismantle apartheid. If you are an individual, organize within your community to take collective action against apartheid.
- Organize and advocate for a military embargo — Build pressure on your city, regional, or central government to exclude Israeli military companies from contracts for goods or services, and where applicable, to stop arming Israel. Urge your union, university or local government to divest from, or terminate contracts with Israeli and other military and security companies that are complicit in Israel’s system of apartheid, military occupation and ongoing theft of Palestinian land. Make freedom of information requests, ask elected representatives to question local or federal governments about their military relations with Israel and Israeli military companies.
- Divest from companies enabling the military repression
- Boycott and send letter to Chevron — The Chevron corporation supplies Israel’s war machine with light and power via the operation and co-ownership of the major gas fields off the coast of occupied Palestinian land.
>> Fill out this form to let us know what you plan to commit to or explore.
Endorsing Christian organizations:
Alliance for Baptists
American Friends Service Committee
Black Christians for Palestine
Christians for a Free Palestine
Friends of Sabeel of North America
Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine-Israel Network
Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace
Pax Christi USA
United Church of Christ Palestine-Israel Network
United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR)
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