ZOA President and Former Presbyterian Elder Condemn Presbyterian Anti-Israel Efforts
News
June 16, 2006

June 14, 2006 – Morton A. Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America and William Devlin, former Presbyterian elder and evangelical Christian leader, released the following statement:



“Leaders of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) are gathering this week in Birmingham, Alabama. A central issue they will be considering is whether or not to continue PCUSA policy to divest any PCUSA investments in Israel – they call this: ‘selected phased divestment.’



“Jewish groups including ZOA and evangelical leaders like Devlin who support the state of Israel reacted strongly in opposition to the 2004 Presbyterian Assembly’s decision to ‘initiate a process of phased, selective divestment’ in multinational corporations operating in Israel that the PCUSA claims are impeding peace in the Middle East.”



Klein and Devlin continued- “While we applaud those Presbyterian leaders who see the injustice in the 2004 Assembly decision and seek to overturn it, we condemn others who want to advance this biased and misguided attack against Israel. The theme of the PCUSA conference is “so great a cloud of witnesses” but it appears that when it comes to understanding that Israel is a just society and the only democracy in the Middle East, the Presbyterians are clearly lost in a cloud. Perhaps this august body, with their highly educated clergy, have forgotten the promise of Genesis 12. Let’s hope that by the end of this conference, these ecclesiastical leaders will be directed by common sense and join the side of the world community which supports Israel.”



Morton A. Klein


William Devlin




Our Mission
ZOA STATEMENT
The ZOA speaks out for Israel – in reports, newsletters, and other publications. In speeches in synagogues, churches, and community events, in high schools and colleges from coast to coast. In e-mail action alerts. In op-eds and letters to the editor. In radio and television appearances by ZOA leaders. Always on the front lines of pro-Israel activism, ZOA has made its mark.
Center for Law & Justice
We work to educate the American public and Congress about legal issues in order to advance the interests of Israel and the Jewish people.
We assist American victims of terrorism in vindicating their rights under the law, and seek to hold terrorists and sponsors of terrorism accountable for their actions.
We fight anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias in the media and on college campuses.
We strive to enforce existing law and also to create new law in order to safeguard the rights of the Jewish people in the United States and Israel.