Jerusalem -- Pro-Israeli evangelical Christians have denounced efforts by some Protestant groups in the United States to divest from companies associated with Israel by calling the move anti-Semitic and say they will fight it by increasing investment there. The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ), which runs an annual week-long conference in Jerusalem in support of Israel, said it would set up a trade office in Israel to encourage Christian investment in the Jewish state. The move is aimed at countering a recent trend by US-based Protestant groups to re-examine investments in companies connected to Israel and the occupation of Palestinian territories.
"With a worldwide constituency, we are in a position to make a difference against worldwide divestment," Malcolm Hedding, the executive director of the ICEJ said on 20 October on the sidelines of the Israeli Feast of the Tabernacles conference in Jerusalem.
The conference drew around 5000 evangelical Christians from around the world to Jerusalem. It is held to coincide with the Jewish harvest festival of Succoth and one of its highlights is a march through the streets of Jerusalem by Christians waving Israeli flags.
Hedding said his organization would take a "proactive approach" to stemming the divestment tide by helping Christians channel investments into Israel and Israeli companies.
Several US Protestant churches including the Presbyterian Church USA, the US Episcopal (Anglican) Church and the United Church of Christ have recently voted to re-examine their investments in companies seen as profiting from Israeli occupation in the West Bank.
Jewish groups have said the divestment trend was being encouraged by pro-Palestinian lobby groups working in the United States, while some churches backing the economic measures say they are aimed at pressuring companies whose products can be used for aggression or violent suppression of people.
Hedding said the ICEJ would team up with the International Christian Chamber of Commerce to establish a trade office in Israel aimed at partnering Christian businessmen with Israeli business opportunities.
"It needs to be easier for small investors to get that money into the nation and the economy," said Dale Neill, President of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce. The ICEJ would also try to bring more Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land to boost the Israeli tourist sector.
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