Saturday, August 15, 2009
CAMERA's Dexter Van Zile has some more detail, including a description of Sabeel's involvement, in the United Church of Canada's vote away from an over boycott of Israel: Hijacking Interrupted: United Church of Canada Says No to Anti-Israel Boycott
Despite a plea by an activist from the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, the General Council of United Church of Canada has voted down two proposals to boycott Israel, and denied approval to a third that was originally accompanied by background material that obliquely accused un-named Jewish members of the Canadian Parliament of being disloyal to Canada because of their support for Israel. The vote took place on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2009, shortly after the commission voted to repudiate the background material associated with these resolutions.
The Council's decision does not prohibit local churches from boycotting Israel and leaves open possibility that the denomination will re-consider the issue at its next meeting in 2012...
The UCC itself has its own story here: No National Boycott, but Churches Encouraged to Act
Next up will be the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Here's a press release from the Simon Wiesenthal Center (in full):
SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: WHILE UCC VOTES DOWN VILE ANTI-ISRAEL LANGUAGE, IT ENDORSES 'AMMAN CALL' FOR PALESTINIAN RIGHT OF RETURN AND ENCOURAGES LOCAL GROUPS TO CONSIDER BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL
"More challenges to Israel's legitimacy will be presented at Lutheran conclave next week," cautions Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Wiesenthal Center.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center commended the constituents of Canada's largest Protestant denomination, the United Church of Canada, for voting down anti-Israel resolutions at their 40th General Council this week. "Language accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing and apartheid should never have been allowed in the first place," said Rabbi Cooper. "That is why 10,000 online activists joined the Wiesenthal Center's protest to the UCC leadership," he added.
However, the Center expressed deep disappointment that the UCC, while voting down a national boycott, simultaneously encouraged local groups to, in the statement released by Bruce Gregersen, General Council Officer of Programs, "undertake their own initiatives, which may include economic boycotts as a means to ending the occupation [of Palestine]."
Cooper also expressed deep concern over the UCC's endorsement of the World Council of Churches' "Amman Call" that endorses the right of return of Palestinians to what is today the State of Israel.
"Gratuitous attacks on the Jewish State--dating back to the infamous United Nations' 2001 Conference against Racism held in Durban --have made denominational gatherings a flashpoint over the Middle East." Added Rabbi Cooper, "In a few days, Lutherans will have a national convention where at least one proposed resolution repeats the Apartheid slander."
Cooper concluded: "The Simon Wiesenthal Center will continue to be on the frontlines of this struggle to safeguard Israel's rights, combat anti-Semitism and work with people of good faith toward the common good," he concluded.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).
For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter page or mobile device.
This is a letter I sent to the United Church about Sabeel's influence on Protestant denominations.
Dear United Church
The United Church along with a number of other protestant denominations is very critical of Israel. These churches have at one time or another tried to initiate a boycott of Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians. There is one thing all these denominations have in common and that is their connection with and support of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Israel. Sabeel is a Christian organization that equates the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians with the crucifixion of Christ. Sabeel draws a straight line between the Stations of the Cross and Israeli brutality towards the Palestinians. Sabeel’s liturgy is filled of distortions and omissions. It is suffused with a relentless tone of irresponsible self pity. There is not one single mention of any Arab wrongdoing such as the five Arab countries that attacked Israel on the day it became a country. Not one word about the hundreds of thousands of Jews expelled by Arab countries. Not one word about Palestinian terrorism, bus bombings or the slaughter of kindergarten children and students. It’s position on the 1967 war, indeed the whole of Israel’s brief history is historical revisionism reminiscent of Holocaust denial.
Sabeel’s leader Dr. Naim Ateek has a hatred for Israel that goes beyond the bounds of decency. One of the things he likes to say is that Israel is trying to destroy the Palestinians. The long line up of Palestinians being treated at Israeli hospitals is surely evidence of this wish. (Irony.The United Church is completely in the thrall of this hate filled organization. Ateek is an honored guest wherever he goes. The irony of ironies is that Israel allows this organization devoted to its downfall to function which is a greater act of tolerance than the boycott of Israel initiated by the hypocrites at the United Church who have discarded their Savior’s admonition to “judge not lest ye be judged.”
The United Church of Canada should busy itself with church business and religion and stop worrying about what Jews do or do not do. Remember what Eric Hoffer wrote back in 1968: "Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world." So I recommend that Christians first worry about what Christians do or don't do. No wonder that they are losing members.
Eric Hoffers article - http://www.freeman.org/m_online/feb04/hoffer.htm
martin luther must be spinning in his grave due to the Israelis not being the unarmed Jews of the crusades, pogroms and WW2 Europe.
No wonder main stream Protestant Churches are declining in numbers; they are lead by a bunch of Socialist nuts. I'm a Protestant, and proud to be out of the "main stream" - they're turning into what will soon to be a side stream.