November 17, 2004

NEW YORK CITY - The National Council of Churches today issued the following statement:

With deep distress we have learned of arson threats against Presbyterian churches, in response to action by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in July to engage in a process to consider selective divestment from corporations whose business in Israel causes harm to innocent Palestinians or Israelis.

We are grateful that, despite their disagreement with the Presbyterian action, several Jewish organizations immediately condemned this arson threat and affirmed that dialogue is the only way to resolve our differences. In this we stand together.

Our abiding commitment is to deal with divisions and controversies through non-violent means. To this end, the Interfaith Relations Office of the National Council of Churches has coordinated an on-going Jewish Christian dialogue bringing together a high-level delegation from the Christian ecumenical community to a conversation with representatives of the major Jewish organizations in the United States.

National Council of Churches