The Presbyterian Church voted to declare Israel an apartheid state. Jewish organizations are calling the move antisemitic.

The actions of the Israeli government against the people of Palestine meet the definition of apartheid according to the Presbyterian Church USA.

In their annual meeting of the Presbyterian Church, the Commissioners voted to make public the church's stance that both affirm the right of Israel to provide security to its borders and criticizes human rights offenses committed against Palestinians.

Israel passed a nation-state law in which it declared the distinction between Jews and non-Jews to be fundamental and legitimate. The clerk of the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church wrote a letter stating that the policies and practices of Israel constituteapartheid.

The clerk's letter stated that the Presbyterian Church, which consists of over 1.7 million members, recognizes the legitimacy of the Israeli state but it doesn't agree with the continued occupation of Palestine.

Some Jewish organizations were upset by Nelson's description of Israeli policies towards Palestinians. Some people accuse the clerk and the Presbyterian Church of being antisemitic in the letter.

The Jewish Federations are not surprised that the Presbyterian Church USA PC (USA) voted to call Israel anapartheid state. They used to have a time when their words mattered. The time is over. In a statement, the Jewish Federations of North America said. The resolution doesn't do anything to improve the future of Christians, Jews, and Muslims. It's only purpose is to make the Jews and Israel look bad.

The American Jewish Committee's Rabbi Noam E. Marans told The Washington Post that the Presbyterian Church's stance is "tragedy."

"Presbyterians and Jews in the pews need each other in order to address the issues that are most challenging in America today," Marans said. That is prevented by this.

The Presbyterian leadership wrote a letter stating that the church is committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.

Nelson's letter states that there is a fundamental difference between antisemitism and the right to critique the policies of Israel.