c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) It has taken the Anglican Church _ the Church of England _ several centuries to overcome its colonialist record in many parts of the world including India, Pakistan, Kenya and the West Indies. Back then, Anglican missionary efforts were inextricably linked to British imperialism.

It has also taken centuries for Anglicans to overcome their history of the “Star Chamber” proceedings in Britain that persecuted religious dissidents. Quakers, Roman Catholics, Methodists, Baptists and the Pilgrims all felt the bitter sting of England’s established church.

Just when we thought today’s Church of England leaders had learned some important lessons from their denomination’s checkered history, they’ve embarked on yet another shameful policy.

On Feb. 6, the General Synod, the church’s 500-member policy-making body, met in London and voted to divest its financial holdings in companies whose products are used by Israel for its “occupation” of the Palestinians. The Anglicans’ chief target is the Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar Corp. in which the church has $3.9 million invested.

Lending strong support to the anti-Israel Church of England action was former Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who compared Israeli policies to apartheid. Joining Tutu was Jerusalem’s Anglican bishop, Riah Abual-Assal, whose letter denouncing Israel was read during the London meeting.

The bishop of Chelmsford, John Gladwin, declared: “Caterpillar may be a company being used for dreadful purposes across the world, but the problem is not Caterpillar. The problem is the situation in the Middle East and the government of Israel.”

Divestment opponents had prepared a counter motion for the Synod’s consideration, but sadly, it was not presented to the Anglican delegates because time was called after only an hour of discussion and debate. Among the opponents of divestment was an angry George Carey, the former archbishop of Canterbury.

After the vote, he said, “I am ashamed to be an Anglican.” Carey called the action “a most regrettable and one-sided statement … that ignores the trauma of ordinary Jewish people subject to terrorist attacks.” He added, “It was a one-eyed (action) that only rebukes one side.”

Christopher Herbert, bishop of St. Albans, called the Synod’s action “unbalanced” and said it did not address the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

However, Rowan Williams, the current archbishop of Canterbury and the spiritual leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans, supported the divestment strategy.

The vote does not compel the church commissioners, who actually manage Anglican funds, to remove money from companies doing business with Israel because last September the commissioners ruled against divestment. But the vote was a symbolic anti-Israel message that drew a negative response from Jonathan Sacks, the United Kingdom’s chief rabbi.

He called the vote “ill-judged” and said the Anglican divestment policy could seriously undermine Christian-Jewish relations in Britain. The chief rabbi wrote “the timing could not have been more inappropriate,” when Israel has withdrawn from Gaza, dismantled some West Bank settlements, and is facing a major election next month. Sacks predicted any divestment “would hurt Israel without helping the Palestinians.”

The Anglican action also comes when Hamas, a group the U.S. and other nations condemn as a terrorist organization, has won control of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas does not recognize Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign state, proudly asserts it will not disarm its independent military wing, and will not renounce its murderous violence against Israeli and Jewish targets, especially civilians.

A growing number of nations, including Britain, are applying pressure on the anti-Israel Hamas, and yet the Anglican Church leadership moves forward with its own odious anti-Israel action. Critics say the Church of England leadership is influenced by Sabeel, a Palestinian Christian organization that uses potent theological language to portray Palestinians as the persecuted Jesus, and Israelis as evil “Herods.”

Sabeel leader and former Anglican canon Naim Ateek has called the Israeli government a “crucifixion system.”

After the Anglican vote, a disgusted Jon Benjamin, the lay leader of Britain’s Jews, declared: “Israel will be criticized regardless of what happens. … Nothing Israel ever will do will be right, while nothing Palestinians will do will ever be wrong.”

MO/PH END RNS

(Rabbi Rudin, the American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser, is the author of the recently published book “The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right’s Plans for the Rest of Us.”)

Editors: To obtain a photo of Rabbi Rudin, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug. If searching by subject, designate “exact phrase” for best results.