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Fighting Against BDS
I
Local Jews try to stop Presbyterian group's condemnation of Israel.
am proud of the Metro Detroit Jewish
community. Many of you have been wit-
ness to the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s
General Assembly (PCUSA GA) that took
place in Cobo Center June 14-21. During
that conference, the PCUSA GA passed an
overture (310 for, 303 against) to secede
from what many of us understand to be the
path for a just Israeli-Palestinian peace.
It was a trying week, but for many, this
struggle has been months in the making.
In the beginning of May, having just
graduated from the University of Michigan
with a master's degree in Judaic Studies, I
was told by the Jewish Council for Public
Affairs (JCPA) that the Presbyterian Church
was holding a conference in Detroit where
they were voting on a handful of BDS and
anti-Israel resolutions. The JCPA wanted me
to be a representative of the Detroit Jewish
community to help stop our Presbyterian
friends from joining the BDS campaign.
I was elated. I had just finished my sec-
ond semester as a teaching assistant for
Professor Vic Lieberman's "History of the
Arab-Israeli Conflict" course where I taught
(and learned) this material. Because of this
role, I felt responsible to my students not to
be involved in the recent BDS debates on
campus that created an incredibly divisive
and uncomfortable climate for students and
community members.
But with the semester over, my self-
imposed obligations to be apolitical were
over. I started making connections: at the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
with NEXTGen and the Israel and Overseas
Department; with the AJC, ADL and Detroit
Jewish Community Relations Council;
the Ann Arbor Federation, the Jewish
Community Center and synagogues, to
name a few.
I did not want to see our community, like
so many other American Jewish communi-
ties, threatened again by the vitriolic BDS
movement that was seeking to wrench its
claws into PCUSA, and thus, many of our
neighbors' churches.
Preparing For The Conference
In advance of the GA, I was put in touch
with Presbyterians for Middle East Peace
(PFMEP), a community within PCUSA
that supports peace efforts in the Middle
East. This grassroots group of clergy
and laity comes from a broad spectrum
of Presbyterian communities, uniting
people behind a support for an equitable
Palestinian-Israeli peace regardless of their
different social and political identities (e.g.
people on both sides of the gay marriage
debate, the other major issue being voted
8 June 26 • 2014
this. PFMEP has seen how much we care
about a real, tenable peace between Israelis
and Palestinians. That we, too, recognize
this conflict is not about governments
but about people — mothers and fathers,
brothers and sisters, sons and daughters —
who are often neglected by the actions of
extremists.
Preparing For The Future
Jewish Metro Detroiters stand up for Israel during the general assembly at Cobo.
on).
"Another Jew Supports Divestments:'
I was, and still am, deeply moved by this
I had to suffer through throngs of people
committed group of volunteers who genu-
who see JVP as a voice for a large swath
inely care about the suffering
of American Jews. There were
of their brothers and sisters in
scores of JVP activists, including
Israel-Palestine. In this vein,
four clerical leaders and a dozen
they invited me to join them in
young adults who were often seen
Detroit as a local resource and
as the Jewish voices with a vested
Jewish representative.
interest in this debate. Almost
With all of these organiza-
all of them came from outside of
tional contacts, I was constant-
Detroit.
ly reminded of what happened
JVP came to my town — our
two years ago in Pittsburgh at
home — to lambast the Israeli
people and vilify Zionism.
the most recent PCUSA GA.
Avery
At this conference, BDS was
Fortunately, I was not alone in my
Robinson
narrowly rejected by a vote of
outrage. Many within our com-
333-331. Two votes separated
munity came out in support of
PCUSA from joining the BDS movement.
Israelis, Palestinians and peace.
In the past two years, the seeds of anti-
Zionism have only strengthened their roots
Jewish Community Support
within this church. This is most evident
I am grateful for the support of the
in the publication and sale of Zionism
NEXTGen staff and Federation. JFMD,
Unsettled, a grossly unsympathetic narrative AJC, JCRC, ADL, NEXTGen and many
other organizations helped me organize
of Middle East history in the past 100 years
that maligns the Jewish people, Zionism
Jewish Detroiters to come to Cobo Center
and Israel through claims of "ethnic cleans-
to witness how JVP activists and many
ing" and apartheid.
Presbyterians have been disparaging our
people. I have been so grateful that our
Jewish Voice For Peace
community has come together to stand
According to the JCPA, AJC and PFMEP,
strong behind PFMEP as voices for peace
and nuance in Israel.
one of the reasons for this close margin
was the presence of a large group of Jewish
My outreach work with PFMEP has
Voice for Peace activists, a very left-wing
reminded me how blessed we are in this
political group with marginal support from
community to have so many strong sup-
the (very left) Jewish community that sup-
porters of the State of Israel. We have people
ports BDS. It was understood that JVP was
of all ages, denominational affiliations and
invigorated by this effort and was planning
backgrounds who have a sincere love for
on using all of its resources for Detroit.
Israelis.
And it did. This past week I was subject-
And through this work, I have also recog-
ed to daily visions of occasionally kippah
nized how deeply we feel for the Palestinian
toting individuals wearing shirts that say
people. I am not the only one to recognize
Jay Hack, the newly appointed president of
the NEXTGen Board, has started planning
for programs that will add more nuance to
our discussions of Israel. The Detroit Jewish
community loves Israel, but often finds it
difficult to critique. I am excited to be a part
of these conversations that will enable us to
have a real dialogue about our concerns for
Israel and Palestine.
And given the incredible support I have
seen this past week from people across
the pro-Israel community (e.g. ZOA,
StandWithUs, AIPAC and J Street), I think
these will go a long way in strengthening
our commitment to a real peace in Israel-
Palestine.
There were almost a hundred Jewish
community members who came from
across Southeastern Michigan to stand
up against the maligning of Jews, Israel
and Zionism presented in the Zionism
Unsettled book and BDS policies being
considered by PCUSA.
I am sorry that we were unable to stop
BDS, to stop Presbyterians from pushing
people away from the negotiating table.
The final vote was tallied at 310 for BDS,
303 against. I cannot help but see the sig-
nificance of this vote. 613 total votes cast.
There were more votes cast here than
in the two resolutions related to gay mar-
riage. There were more Presbyterians vot-
ing on this item than seemingly any other
item at the conference.
I cannot tell you what it means that
the number of voters corresponds to the
number of commandments we are given
in the Torah. I cannot tell you how we are
supposed to respond to this. But I do think
this is a sign that the status quo is unten-
able.
I urge you to reach out to your
Presbyterian friends and neighbors to talk
about Israel and the BDS movement. Be a
part of the upcoming community conver-
sations on Israel. And, most importantly,
do not lose hope in the power of our com-
munity to do amazing work.
❑
Avery Robinson is an instructor at University of
Michigan who represented the Jewish Council of
Public Affairs at the general assembly.