Jews In Canada Blast Protestant Movement To Divest In Israel

The movement has outraged Jewish groups, who say the strategy is biased, anti-Semitic and fails to recognize Israel's right to defend itself against terrorist attacks by Palestinian extremists. "This is blatant propaganda that seeks to isolate and demonize Israel," Ruth Klein, of B'nai B'rith Canada, told a news conference. She said the disinvestment movement, continued suicide bombings against Israelis and comments by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday - in which he said Israel must be "wiped off the map" - were sending fresh chills of fear through Jewish communities worldwide. Sister Ruth Lautt, national director of the U.S. Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East, called on Canadian denominations to be wary of Sabeel. She was joined by the Rev. William Harter, a founding member of five Christian-Jewish initiatives in the United States and the Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, chairman of the Episcopal-Jewish relations committee in the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Sabeel director, the Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek, is a Palestinian Anglican who says he condemns violence by both sides, though he blames the cycle of violence on the Israeli occupation of traditional Palestinian territory. "We condemn all violence, whether coming out from the Palestinian extremists or from the state of Israel and its army," Ateek told a separate news conference. "We cannot reconcile violence with justice, being followers of Jesus Christ." Sister Lautt said Ateek has indirectly referred to the Israelis as Christ killers and was fanning anti-Semitism through his divestment movement and sermons. Ateek, in a sermon in 2001, said: "Jesus is on the cross again with thousands of crucified Palestinians around him . . . The Israeli government crucifixion system is operating daily." http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20051030/1029296.asp

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