"There's a certain moral blindness here that's very hard for me to understand," said Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, which organized the summit with the Presbyterians. "Where is their pressure on the Palestinians? Where is their demand from the EU to cease funding of the Palestinian Authority unless it does something against terrorist acts?"

The Rev. Brian Grieves, director of Episcopal Peace and Justice Ministries, said the investment committee seriously considered the concerns of Jewish leaders, and he planned to meet next week with representatives of the Anti-Defamation League to discuss the issue.

However, Grieves said any condemnations from Jewish leaders are premature, since no decision has been made about what action to take — or even whether to take action.

"We didn't say anything pro or con," Grieves said.

If the Episcopal governing board gives its authorization, the investment committee said it will spend a year researching what pressure could be brought on companies that "contribute to the ongoing occupation, especially in the areas of home demolitions, settlement building and the separation wall." Israel is building a West Bank barrier that the nation's leaders say will slow suicide bombings. Many in the international community have demanded that Israel take it down.

The investment committee made its decision after some Anglican representatives said last week that they will recommend that the global Anglican Communion consider withdrawing investments from Israel because of what they called mistreatment of Palestinians.

The Episcopal Church is the U.S. province of the 77-million-member Communion.

The Episcopal committee also said it considered the Presbyterian position on divestment when deciding how to proceed.

END