United Church of Christ to vote on resolution condemning Israel for treatment of Palestinian children

JTA

(JTA) — The United Church of Christ will vote on a resolution condemning Israel for its treatment of Palestinian children living in the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem and Gaza.

Two years after voting overwhelmingly to divest from companies that profit from Israel’s control of the West Bank, delegates to the church’s general synod in Baltimore that begins Friday will consider a resolution that calls on Israel to “exercise an absolute prohibition against torture and ill-treatment of detained children.”

It also calls on the United States to withhold military assistance from Israel over what the church says are violations of human rights in its treatment of Palestinian children. The resolution says the churches and members must learn about the plight of children in Palestine and the State of Israel.

The United Church of Christ says on its website that it has over 5,000 churches and nearly 1 million members across the United States.