Invest in Peace, Divest from Occupation

The BDS movement (Boycott Divestment Sanctions) against Apartheid Israel has been gaining incredible momentum this past year. Most recently, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers voted to support the boycott movement, which makes it the first national union in North America to do so - a historical moment.

Jewish Voice for Peace has recently launched a blog, Invest for Peace, to support American churches and Christian communities with their brave BDS initiatives. Check it out here.

What I really like about this campaign is that it gives the BDS movement a face, literally. JVP is requesting allies to post a short message along with their photo on the blog:

This week, Methodists have a chance to make history, but they need your support. They are gathering at their General Conference, a meeting that takes place once every four years, to make policy decisions for their 11.5 million member denomination.

They have already felt the sting of charges of anti-semitism for taking principled stands on the Israeli occupation, as well as considering selective divestment.

They need to hear from Jews and allies who are willing to stand up, tell the truth, and act for justice.

We've created a website for Methodist delegates (and Presbyterian delegates who are meeting in June) called "Invest in Peace."

Please send a photo and a short, positive message of support for our blog www.investinpeace.org. You can do this easily by sending an e-mail to investinpeace@jewishvoiceforpeace.org with a photograph attached and your personalized message in the body.

I think what the photo does is re-emphasize the fact that the Palestinian supporters are a diverse group of people from different faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds all of whom realize the injustices committed by Israel against the Palestinians and are not willing to remain silent about it. At the end of the day, this is what the global BDS movement is all about.

I'm sure JVP could use all the support they can get!