The battle also rages within the highest Israeli political circles.
Ha'aretz reports that former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin harshly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday during a meeting with residents of the city of Kfar Sava, Israel.
Diskin said the pair "is not worthy of leading the country."
"My major problem is that I have no faith in the current leadership, which must lead us in an event on the scale of war with Iran or a regional war," Diskin told the 'Majdi Forum,' a group of local residents that meets to discuss political issues."
He also addressed the issue of racism in Israel.
"Over the past 10-15 years Israel has become more and more racist. All of the studies point to this. This is racism toward Arabs and toward foreigners, and we are also become a more belligerent society."
Why do United Methodist delegates have to ponder more than a few seconds to realize that for the UMC to continue to support Israel's Occupation with church funds, places the denomination on the wrong side of the battle for Israel's soul.
Israeli blogger Larry Derfner writes a post this week, "Israelis are living in a fear society, not a free society," which is another reminder that the Occupation is not in the best interest of either Israelis or Palestinians.
Enabling a "fear society" is not the way American religious communities can best serve the cause of either peace or justice.
British Parliamentarian William Wilberforce, whose political activism had been influenced by John Wesley, did not end slavery, but he did finally persuade the British Parliament to end the slave trade from British seaports.
It took him several decades to end the trade. During those decades, many slaves were transported to America from Africa as the British Parliament followed the political "go slow" policy in which evil flourishes.
American politicians, bought and paid for by forces that reward them for their absolute loyalty to the current right-wing Israeli government, have closed their minds, and most certainly, their hearts, to the injustices of the Occupation.
One day, when these politicians look back on their period of political service, they may recognize the evil they sponsored. And one day, when United Methodist delegates to the 2012 General Conference look back on how they voted on the divestment resolution, they will realize how their vote will follow them into the Hereafter.
And there, I truly do hope they will be invited to one of Brother John Wesley's heavenly society meetings where they will be confronted by the reality of the evil Occupation they tolerated for the sake of what they liked to call, "the delicate fabric of interfaith relations."
What Wesley will say to them about that delicate fabric is chilling to contemplate.
A good preparation for watching how the United Methodist General Conference delegates will conduct themselves in the week ahead, is to spend some time attending to a 25-minute newscast discussion produced by Al Jazeera.
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