Why is the Jewish community particularly concerned about Divestment efforts?
For many in the Jewish community, divestment is deeply troublesome not only because it is an inappropriate strategy to advance peace, but also because it resonates with the memory of boycotts wielded against the Jewish community in Germany in the 1930’s as well as the boycott strategy used against Israel by many of her Arab neighbors. Furthermore, the policy of divestment ends up being linked with the anti-Apartheid movement, in which the Jewish Community, along with our Christian friends, was a leading force. Divestment singles out one particular conflict and, in some proposals, only those businesses working in Israel. This troublesome fixation with the Jewish State exposes a profound moral imbalance. Socially responsible investing is a high calling, but to the extent it is applied to regional conflicts, it should be done universally. What is the real impact of the conversation about economic actions including Divestment? The Jewish community remains committed to working in partnershi
