On March 19, 2009, Rev. Margaret Payne, Bishop of the New England Synod for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), appeared on Interfaith Voices, a radio show broadcast on 62 stations throughout North America. During her appearance in which she recounted impressions of her recent trip to Israel, Bishop Payne offered three misstatements of fact that were detailed in a CAMERA analysis published on May 11, 2009.

First, she asserted that Augusta Victoria Hospital, a facility owned by the Lutheran World Federation (of which ELCA is a part), is "the only hospital in the country" that provides cancer treatment to Palestinians. In fact, Israeli hospitals have routinely provided all sorts of medical care, including cancer treatment, to Palestinians living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Second, she asserted that Israel's security barrier "completely" surrounded the city of Bethlehem. Numerous maps of the barrier reveal that it is located only to the north and west of the city.

Third, Bishop Payne reported that as a result of the security barrier, "tourists do not have a chance to shop and support the economy." In fact, the Christian Science Monitor reported that 2008 was a record year for tourism in Bethlehem.

These errors are remarkable in that they all serve to portray Israel in a negative light...

...Not only will I not offer a retraction, but I will look for every opportunity that I can find to advocate for the end of Israeli occupation. When the "facts on the ground" are truly known, and not further distorted by organizations such as yours, then I hope that there can be further dialogue about the ultimate security and freedom of both Israelis and Palestinians.