March 14, 2006
by Al Webb
Religion News Service

LONDON – The Church of England appears to be backing away from a proposal to sell its stake in companies that do business with Israel.

However, the shift hasn't mollified the American Jewish Congress.

In a Feb. 6 vote, the Church of England's General Synod targeted the church's $4.4 million holding in U.S. machinery giant Caterpillar Inc., whose bulldozers allegedly have been used by Israel's army to destroy Palestinian homes in the occupied territories.

However, the church's powerful Ethical Investment Advisory Group recommended on March 7 that the church hold onto its Caterpillar stock, because "there are no current or projected sales by Caterpillar (of) equipment for use by the Israeli government."

The group reserved the right to "revisit" its decision if such sales resume.

That failed to soothe ruffled feathers at the American Jewish Congress, which said in a March 8 statement that the advisory panel's action smacked of "half a loaf (being) better than none."

"But this is a stale loaf indeed," said American Jewish Congress President Paul S. Miller.

Neil Goldstein, the group's executive director, said, "The concept that cooperation in Israel's war against terrorism is morally repugnant shows that the Anglican Church has lost its moral compass."

The general synod's vote, which was backed by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, came in response to a call by the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East for the Church of England "to disinvest from companies profiting from the illegal occupation, such as Caterpillar Inc., until they change their policies."

A spokesman for Caterpillar told the British Broadcasting Corp. that its products were sold to the U.S. government, which in turn sold them to Israel.

"We clearly have neither the legal right nor the tangible ability to regulate how customers use their machines," the spokesman said.

Presbyterian News Service