Friday, February 11, 2005
From JAT-Action:
BACKGROUND
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Elizabeth and Marthame Sanders served until recently as Presbyterian missionaries in a Christian village in the West Bank. In August, 2004, they joined the head office staff of the Presbyterian Church USA in the prestigious position of missionaries-in-residence.
The Sanders have a flagrantly anti-Semitic article posted on their web page. While Elizabeth and Marthame Sanders did not write the article, posting it makes it appear that they endorse the views expressed.
Here is an excerpt from the article, written by a notoriously anti-Semitic Christian named Israel Shamir.
"The most liberal Jewish plan calls for creation of a few Gentile ghettos fenced by barbed wire, surrounded by Jewish tanks and Jewish-owned factories at the fence, where the Arbeit will macht the Gentiles frei... Israelis are brainwashed from kindergarten, they are taught they belong to the Chosen People, who are Über Alles. They were indoctrinated in the belief that the Gentiles are not fully human, and therefore they can be killed and expropriated at will... "
The material quoted above can be found here.
And also here.
Note: The Sanders have posted a rather lame response to the objections they have received. It is here. The link just above is an excellent and detailed "fisking" of their response, including a refutation of the idea that Israel Shamir's writings involve anything like an intra-Jewish dialog, or even that Shamir is someone that anyone who professes to be of good-will would associate with. In fact, it is part of a longer essay on the difference between anti-Semtism and anti-Zionism using the Sanders as its hook. It's worth reading and begins here.
The JAT release continues:
The Sanders website also links to a list of organizations that, according to the Sanders, "offer insightful, educational, and hopeful perspectives." On the list are at least three organizations
that serve as enthusiastic cheerleaders for suicide bombers and other terrorists, including Al Awda, the International Solidarity Movement, and Electronic Intifada. Al Awda and the International Solidarity Movement aim not for peaceful coexistence, but for the destruction of Israel "by any means necessary." According to the International Solidarity Movement, suicide bombing is a "noble" form of "jihad."
ACTION
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Write to the leaders of the PCUSA expressing your concern. [Always, always, polite!! Please remember that many practicing Presbyterians do not agree with the actions of their church on these issues.]
Rev. Victor Makari
Coordinator for the Middle East
VictorM@ctr.pcusa.org
Jay Rock
Coordinator for Interfaith Relations
jrock@ctr.pcusa.org
Presbyterian Church (USA)
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick
Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church, USA
ckirkpat@ctr.pcusa.org
Presbyterian Church (USA)
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Update: An emailer sends me a note entitled 'leftists and arabs against israel shamir' and points me to this page of links maintained by a guy who's one of the founders of Electronic Intifadah, and even he's warning people off of Israel Shamir. When even Hussein Ibish is calling someone out for his anti-Jewish rants, it may be time to take note.
Update2: More on Israel Shamir in this post.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-1557932,00.html
On February 23, Lord Ahmed hosted a book launch in the House of Lords for a man going by the name of Israel Shamir. “Israel Shamir†is, in fact, a Swedish-domiciled anti-Semite also known as Jöran Jermas.
Yes, thanks for the pointer. Posted about it here and here.
Shocking.