Presbytery of Detroit Overtures General Assembly to Temporarily Suspend Military Aid to Israel

At the February 26, 2008 meeting of the Presbytery of Detroit, the commissioners approved an overture suspending military aid to Israel. I discovered this action on Viola Larson's blog.

Here is the opening text:

The Presbytery of Detroit respectfully overtures the 218^th General Assembly (2008) to do the following: 1) call for temporary suspension of military aid to the State of Israel until the Israeli government complies with the requirements of (a) the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, which prohibits using U.S. weapons against civilians or civilian infrastructure, and (b) the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits giving assistance to the government of any country which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights; and, (2) direct that the Stated Clerk of the PCUSA communicate this recommendation to all of the members of Congress and to all of the appropriate members of the Administration, i.e. the President, Vice President, Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense.

I think this is a good overture. The text is clear that the suspension is temporary until the State of Israel complies with some pretty basic conditions, such as using weapons against civilians. The Middle East Work Group of Detroit Presbytery put forth the overture.

I am glad that Detroit Presbytery is not afraid to address these issues.