The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) today condemned the General Synod of the United Church of Christ (UCC) for passing resolutions which demonize Israel and aligns the UCC with the discriminatory, anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. BDS as openly admitted by its founders, aims for Israel’s delegitimization and eventual elimination, while ignoring genuine human rights abuses committed by myriad other states like China, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Syria.

 The UCC General Synod passed a resolution to boycott and divest from companies doing business by a vote of 508 to 124 with 38 abstentions. A further resolution slandering Israel as an ‘apartheid’ state achieved a simple majority, but not the necessary 2/3 required for passage.

Among the speakers at the UCC Synod was the viciously anti-Israel pastor, Mitri Raheb, who has a documented history of slander, violent language and ahistorical anti-Semitic theories positing that today’s Jews are not the Jews of the Bible, whereas today’s Palestinians are.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “It is clear that the UCC is seeking to delegitimize Israel by telling the most appalling lies about her.

“The UCC is retailing discredited and internationally repudiated libels about Israeli racism imposed on the world via the UN in 1975 by the majority of dictatorships that to this day dominate it.

“At the same time, the UCC ignores the racist Palestinian Authority program seeking a Jew-free Palestinian state and the appalling, genuine human rights violations that occur in Palestinian-controlled areas.

“Let’s be clear: anyone who calls Israel an apartheid state supports its disappearance, just as one would support the disappearance of the apartheid regime in South Africa.

“The UCC should be shunned and treated as anathema until and unless it reverses its stance.”

“Shame on you, United Church of Christ. You’re a disgrace.”