Anti-Israel boycott movement
Anti-Israel boycott movementReuters

Israel's Foreign Ministry blasted on Wednesday the United Church of Christ's (UCC) decision to boycott and divest from companies operating in Judea and Samaria. 

Slamming the church's decision as "immoral," Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said "people of faith and religion should work to facilitate peace and not try to hurt the side [Israel] aspiring for peace."

The UCC, a liberal Protestant sect based in the US, voted Tuesday to adopt a resolution calling for the boycott, divestment and sanctions of "companies deemed supportive of Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories." 

The resolution, which two more US churches will vote on on Wednesday, passed easily with a majority of 508 to 124, and 38 abstentions. 

"The United Church of Christ Palestine-Israel Network (UCC PIN) is pleased to announce that...the plenary of the 30th General Synod taking place in Cleveland passed Resolution #4, calling for boycotts and divestment from companies that profit from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands," the UCC said in a statement.

The UCC, which passed "two virulently anti-Israel measures in 2005," according to StandWithUs, also attempted to pass a resolution categorizing Israel as an "apartheid state," but failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority. 

Addressing the church's long history of anti-Israel activity, Nahshon accused UCC's policies of having “reflected the most radical politics for more than a decade and in no way reflect a moral stance or reality-based position.”