Methodists Reject anti-Israel Boycott by Crushing Margin

The insidious Israel Lobby has struck again. It somehow managed to infiltrate the United Methodist Church and convince the Methodists, by an overwhelming 2-to-1 margin, to vote against ending investments in companies involved in Israel’s enforcement of its control of the occupied territories. According to the New York Times, the Methodists’ decision follows similar repudiations by the Lutherans and Episcopalians.

One might have expected the Times to emphasize the lopsided nature of the vote and consider what it might say about the way Israel is perceived by American Christians. Instead, it buried any mention of the 2-to-1 margin until the penultimate paragraph, after devoting considerable ink to a wider discussion of the BDS (boycott/divestment/sanction) movement. The movement, we should add, has been remarkably unsuccessful.

What the Times failed to note is that Americans have a very positive attitude towards Israel; the vote’s 2-to-1 margin roughly reflects the popularity of Israel among the general population. American policy toward Israel is not orchestrated by some shadowy Jewish cabal. It is based on a reasoned assessment of American national interests and values and is deep and widespread.

[Updated]

Posted: 2012-05-03 14:30:38

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Iustus Peccator

If the sanctimony at my last Presbytery meeting is any indication,(Justice for Palestine! Which roughly translated means: Billions for kleptocratic “leaders” and a blind eye to state sponsored terrorism so that “progressive” white mainliners can feel morally superior to backwards evangelicals.) the triviality that is the PCUSA will vote to divest. The Yiddish word to describe us, I believe is “schmucks”.
Jacksonian Libertarian

I never read the New York Times, they are for everything I am against, and against everything I am for. I am glad they are slowly going out of business, with circulation declining every year, it’s their Karma catching up to them.
http://facingzionwards.blogspot.com/ Luke Lea

Good for them. I only wish the margin were more lopsided.
Mike Neuman

As a United Methodist, all I can say is Thank God!!! The Board of Church and Society has tried to force those of us who believe Israel is the front line of the battle against Muslim Terrorism to accept their Pro-Palestinian agenda for years.

Makes me proud of my Church again.
http://Thepencilofnature.net Lorenz Gude

My father was a NY Times reading FDR Democrat and I was the same for many years in my head. One day -i think it was the eleventh of September- I discovered that my heart was Jacksonian. And I feel exactly as Jacksonian Libertatian does about the NY Times.
Kris

Darn philosemites! Not that I expected any better from Jew-worshippers.

[/sarc]
http://athens-and-jerusalem.blogspot.com Withywindle

That one in three voted for divestment is not encouraging news. Also, 40% of UMC delegates live outside the US–see the articles on-line about the vote the day before about homosexuality–it is entirely possible that a majority of the American delegates voted to divest. Without a breakdown of the foreign/non-foreign vote, you certainly shouldn’t take this as a register of American opinion.
Kenny

Mr. Mead was remiss in not telling his readers here of another common sense vote the the UMC delegates took at their convention, so I’ll inform you.

This largest of mainline Protestant denomination voted against changing its Book of Discipline’s that says homosexual behavior is “incompatible with Christian teaching.”

The United Methodists upheld traditional doctrine by a vote of 61 percent to 39 percent.

Digest that for a moment, folks

A compromise amendment saying Methodists can agree to disagree on the issue was defeated by a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent.

The mainline Protestant churches have some faith left in them. Saints be praised.
Sarattus

I was raised Methodist but have not been back for years. I had shaken their dust from my sandals and given up on them. Rather like the Episcopalians they drink deeply from the poisoned cup of the Left. I expect them both to die wretched deaths in the dust of time, perhaps I should reconsider.
Mike 71

There is a huge overwhelmingly powerful institution, which dwarfs the influence of the “Israel Lobby” on this issue. That institution is American public opinion, which overwhelmingly supports the security of Israel!