Presbyterian Church (USA) Overtures for the 227th General Assembly - 2026
We are advocating for two overtures that are headed to the General Assembly in Milwaukee! The first overture would empower the PC(USA) to officially recognize and refer to the catastrophe in Gaza as a genocide. It would also enable the Office of Public Witness to lobby Congress for an arms embargo on Israel.
The second overture directs the Office of Public Witness to urge Congress and the President to enact a full trade embargo on Israel until Palestinians achieve their full slate of human rights, including an end to the occupation, an end to apartheid policies, and the right to return to their homeland.
Watch PJN members, Noushin Framke explain the genocide overture and Bob Ross introduce the trade embargo overture!
[RIW-04] Recognition that Israel has Violated the International Law Prohibiting Genocide
What does this overture say?
The church’s Committee of Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) is responding to an overture from the previous general assembly, which directed it to engage with GE and Palantir Technologies in an effort to get them to stop selling their products to governments that are using them in ways that create human rights abuses.
MRTI is the official church body that carries out shareholder engagement.
According to PC(USA) policy, if that engagement does not result in a change in companies’ behavior, they recommend divestment.
What would this recommendation do?
Direct the PC(USA) Foundation and Board of Pensions to divest their holdings in GE Aerospace and Palantir Technologies
What does divestment mean?
The church would sell its stocks in these two companies at a financially prudent time
The church would place these companies on its “proscription list,” meaning that it would not reinvest in them.
Why should we divest from Palantir and GE Aerospace?
Our Palestinian partners have been asking us to divest from complicit companies since 2005.
Palantir products are used to help the Israeli military determine whom to kill in Gaza as part of the genocide.
Palantir products are used by ICE and US police departments to help them determine whom to deport, detain, and/or arrest, which has led to the separation of families and created a climate of fear among our immigrant neighbors.
GE Aerospace products are used to make bombs that are dropped on residential buildings in Gaza.
The PC(USA) has long used divestment as a non-violent tool to put pressure on companies and governments to stop contributing to human rights abuses.
The church has divested from companies involved in South African apartheid, for-profit prisons, tobacco and alcohol, climate change, the occupation of Palestinian territory (HP, Motorola Solutions, and Caterpillar).
After MRTI faithfully and deliberately followed PC(USA) policy to engage with these companies, Palantir and GE Aerospace have shown no signs that they are interested in our church’s engagement.
Divestment works!
Institutional divestment was a major factor in ending South African apartheid.
Join our monthly prayer calls.
The Palestine Justice Network offers a monthly prayer call for Palestine. It is held the second Tuesday of every month at 12:30pm (ET) and led by a PJN member. The call is held via Zoom meeting services and anyone can dial in to pray for Palestine. We will begin by sharing joys and concerns. The leader will then begin the prayers and others are invited to intercede with their own joys, concerns, and prayers for Palestine/Israel.
If you prefer to give a prayer request rather than pray on the call, please send the request to the Steering Committee by email: prayers@thePJN.org.