UK Christians join boycott of Israeli settlement goods

The UK's Methodist Church is joining the boycott movement against goods produced on Israeli settlements. The move has enraged Israel's defenders who find it hard to believe that those with an interest in social justice now feel the need to stand up and be counted. The move was based on the findings of the Kairos Report.

The fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United Kingdom is under fire for supporting Palestinian Christians.

In late June, the Methodist Church of Great Britain became the first major UK denomination to boycott goods from Israeli settlements following last year's release of the Palestine Kairos document, which declared Israel's occupation "a sin against God."

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, representing 300 Jewish and pro-Israel organizations in Britain, said the Methodist conference ought to "hang its head in shame" after it "swallowed hook, line and sinker a report full of basic historical inaccuracies, deliberate misrepresentations and distortions" that "will cause the enemies of peace and reconciliation to cheer from the sidelines." ...

..."This decision has not been taken lightly, but after months of research," church spokeswoman Christine Elliott said in a statement. "The goal of the boycott is to put an end to the existing injustice. It reflects the challenge that settlements present to a lasting peace in the region." more

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