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Methodists vote to boycott Israel
An Israeli soldier pointing his weapon at a Palestinian child. 'Stop,' demands the Methodist Church
The Methodist Church moves for peace against Israeli terror state.
By Marcus Dysch and Simon Rocker
The Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, led condemnation of the Methodist Church for its approval of a report on Israel which he warned would have widespread repercussions for interfaith relations.
The Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council said the Methodists’ annual conference should “hang its head in shame” for passing a policy which calls for a boycott of goods from “illegal” Israeli West Bank settlements and blames Israeli occupation as the “key hindrance” to Middle East peace.
Lord Sacks said the implications of the decision would “reverberate across the hitherto harmonious relationship between the faith communities in the UK”.
He blasted the report as “unbalanced, factually and historically flawed” and offering “no genuine understanding of one of the most complex conflicts in the world today. Many in both communities will be deeply disturbed”.
Delegates at the conference in Portsmouth overwhelmingly passed every recommendation of the report, which also included a call to review whether Zionism was compatible with Methodist beliefs.
The Reverend Graham Carter, who chaired the working party that produced the report, said that while some people had wanted a boycott of all Israeli goods, “we did not feel that was the right thing to bring to conference”.
Jewish organisations are particularly incensed that the Methodists disregarded advance warnings from the Council of Christians and Jews and other groups of the likely impact of the report on relations between Jews and Methodists.
In a blistering joint statement, the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council said the report’s authors had “abused the goodwill of the Jewish community, which tried to engage on this issue, only to find our efforts were treated as an unwelcome distraction”.
The conference “swallowed hook, line and sinker a report full of basic historical inaccuracies, deliberate misrepresentations and distortions of Jewish theology and Israeli policy,” they said.
Calling the outcome “a very sad day” for Methodist-Jewish relations”, they said it would “cause the enemies of peace and reconciliation to cheer from the sidelines”.
An internal church memo shows that the Methodist Church had rejected calls for a more “balanced” working party, whose members included Stephen Leah, the chairman of the York branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
David King, a delegate from Lancashire and one of a number of speakers at the debate who raised Jewish concerns, noted “a rise in antisemitic activity in the UK”.
He said: “I’m concerned that in our acts as a church we are incredibly mindful of the wellbeing of the Jewish community in the UK.”
But Mr Carter told the conference: “I want to state quite clearly that there is no hint of antisemitism in what we have said or what we intend… If we are concerned about antisemitism, why don’t we talk about the anti-Islam approach? We might be between a rock and a hard place.” Expressing his hope for continued dialogue with the Jewish community, he said: “I want us to continue to hold out the hand of friendship — and I hope it won’t be refused.”
While the 54-page document mentions that Israelis had legitimate fears, it contains no more than a fleeting reference to Hamas.
Jonathan Arkush, senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies, who witnessed the debate in Portsmouth, said afterwards: “It is hard to see how anyone genuinely concerned with the Middle East and interfaith dialogue can take the Methodist Church seriously.”
The Methodist action reflects a tactic urged last year by Palestinian churches, which denounced Israel’s occupation as “a sin against God and humanity”.
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Posted by Yanira Farray on Jul 10 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under Living, Of Interest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Hooray for the Methodist church!!!! Someone finally saw through the Zionist lies!
There will never be “peace” while Zionist are in control!
“Zionism is not only wrong according to the literal words of the God who inspired the Tanach, … Zionism will certainly bring the promised curses of that same God upon all who follow the Zionists and their political agenda”
“The epithet “anti-Semitism” is hurled to silence anyone, even other Jews, brave enough to decry Israel’s systematic, decades-long pogrom against the Palestinian Arabs. Because of the Holocaust, “anti-Semitism” is such a powerful instrument of emotional blackmail that it effectively pre-empts rational discussion of Israel and its conduct. It is for this reason that many good people can witness daily evidence of Israeli inhumanity toward the “Palestinians’ collective punishment,” the destruction of olive groves, routine harassment, judicial prejudice, denial of medical services, assassinations, torture, apartheid-based segregation, etc. – yet dare not denounce it for fear of being branded “anti-Semitic.” “For fear of the Jews.”"
You only have to read their “Holy” book, the Talmud, to see what they really are!
1. “All vows, oaths, promises, engagements, and swearing, which, beginning this very day or reconciliation till the next day of reconciliation, we intend to vow, promise, swear, and bind ourselves to fulfill, we repent of beforehand; let them be illegalized, acquitted, annihilated, abolished, valueless, unimportant. Our vows shall be no vows, and our oaths no oaths at all.” -Schulchan Qruch, Edit. 1, 136.
Hooray for the Methodists! I hope that the United Church of Christ also boycotts
Israel. Followed by other Christian denominations.
Blessed Are the Peace Makers. In the Methodist Church using public free words not weapons of War to work for equal rights for Palestinian’s, Christian and Muslim’s. Regarding “no genuine understanding of one of the most complex conflicts in the world today.” Do you really belive God said you could break his Tablet of Commandments, It’s just a Land Scam to steal Semitic Palestine lands. Next step will be the Court below.
http://www.ccun.org/Opinion%20Editorials/2010/April/12-b%20o/Law%20Suit%20Against%20Israel%20By%20Ronald%20Douglas%20Kennedy.htm
The ICC. Court is the only viable appropriate Court of Law at this time for the individual Palestinian Citizens and there Two Elected Party Government’s: FATAH and HAMAS. As the State of Israel is a Failed Piranha State in word and in respecting the norm’s of International Law in protecting Palestinian legal rights in a Just Court of Law, at this time. Also the ICC Court is immune from the United States, Veto as used in the UN. in denying international Resolutions and Sanctions against the State of Israel. As shown in some of the past U.S. Governments.
It is long past time to recognize “Semitic” Palestinian Legal Rights to there lands in a just court of Law. As they are also the Semitic Children of Shem
Regarding using the word “Settlers”. Zionist Propaganda Big Lie.
The proper English word should be SQUATTERS not Settlers, Squatters are those who take my home, or put building on my property without my permission. Settlers are those who build on land not owned by others, or contested as stealing. I also suggest the word “squatville” to replace the word “settlement.”
As you know words paint pictures in the mind of the reader, and reinforce his past thinking or cause him to reevaluate what he had originally thought.
I believe every time the word Settlers is used regarding the taking of Palestine land you are falling in to the Israeli big lie. And if you tell the lie long enough and it is supported, used by others it’s believe by those who do not now the history or facts.
We have not forgotten when Elected Prime Minister Rabin and Elected President Arafat were working on the finalization of a willing and United Agreement of peace, Both were called Peace Makers. But after the Zionist Bullet of Hate was fired in to the Back of A Jew looking For Peace by a Zionist Jew looking for More Palestine Land. The blame had been placed on President Arafat, by the US, “No Genuine Palestinian Partner for Peace”
“In memory of my Friend Alex Odeh 1944 to 1985″ Who believed in the Power of words. He was assassinated when a bomb ripped through his office Oct. 11, 1985 as he opened the office door (American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee), in Santa Ana California across the street from the Orange County Court house of Law.
Ronald Douglas Kennedy