Simon Wiesenthal Center Delegation In Birmingham To Urge Presbyterian Leaders To Rescind Anti-Israel Divestment Policy At PCUSA’s 217th General Assembly

June 14, 2006

SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER DELEGATION IN BIRMINGHAM TO URGE PRESBYTERIAN LEADERS TO RESCIND ANTI-ISRAEL DIVESTMENT POLICY AT PCUSA’S 217^TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

DR. JUDEA PEARL, FATHER OF SLAIN JOURNALIST DANIEL PEARL TO KEYNOTE INTERFAITH EFFORT

On Thursday, June 15, 2006, at 11:30 a.m., the Simon Wiesenthal Center will hold a press conference at Booth 922 at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, the site of the 217th General Assembly of the PCUSA. The Convention Complex is located at2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard North, Birmingham, Alabama.

At the press briefing, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Wiesenthal Center and Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, the Center's Director of Interfaith Affairs, will be joined by Dr. Judea Pearl, father of Wall Street Journal writer Daniel Pearl, murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in early 2001 and Gary Green, a member of the PCUSA and the Executive Director of End Divestment Now. The Jewish leaders are in Birmingham to urge PCUSA members to rescind their divestment policy against the State of Israel and to instead restore the role of the Church as an honest broker in the conflict, and a partner in the programs that are paving the way towards peace and reconciliation.

Dr. Pearl, who has become a leader in Jewish-Muslim dialogue in North America, will also keynote a special Interfaith service to take place at Birmingham’sTemple Emanu-El-Reform, 2100 Highland Avenue South on Friday night June 16th.

"Sadly, PCUSA's current resolution reflects a larger internationalcampaign todelegitimize the Jewish State. We come to PCUSA's National Assembly hoping to avert more damage to Presbyterian-Jewish relations andin solidarity with the growing number of Presbyterian church leaders who seek to overturn a one-sidedanti-Israel measure that doesn't improve the life of a single Palestinian. We are among Jewish leaders who are committed to work with those who are already building an infrastructure for the peace that will come one day, through investment in educational, social and joint economic ventures that can and will enhance the lives of Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Holy Land," Rabbi Cooper said.

For more information, contact the Center’s public relations department 310-553-9036 or Rabbi Cooper directly at 310-210-9750. 

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS and the Council of Europe.