LAS VEGAS — The Episcopal Church has flatly rejected a church-based movement to pull investments from Israel, instead choosing a strategy of “positive investment” among Palestinians and “corporate engagement” with Israel.
The church’s committee on social responsibility in investments said the church should keep investments in the region and not follow the Presbyterian Church (USA) and others who are seeking to divest from Israeli companies.
“The goal is for selected companies to change behavior resulting in a more hopeful climate for peace,” the committee’s 12-page report said. “If the church simply divests, nothing positive has happened.”
The church’s executive council approved the plan during a meeting in Las Vegas Oct. 8. The church’s investment portfolio totals $265 million. Church officials could not say how much was tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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