NEWS LET DR. GLASSMAN Protestants Want End To U.S. Aid To Israel ELENA NEUMAN Special to The Jewish News M ore than 100 church activists descended on Capitol Hill this week to lobby for a sovereign Palestinian homeland and a halt to U.S. aid to Israel be- cause of its recent set- tlement activity in the ad- ministered territories. Known as Washington Advocacy Days, the three- day lobbying effort is thought to be the first public campaign on these issues by the American Christian church establishment. The program was organiz- ed by Churches for Middle East Peace, a joint program of the central bodies of the major American church de- nominations launched in The Presbyterian Church USA has been among the most consistently critical of Israel. 1984 to "communicate to Congress and the executive branch the perspectives and concerns reflected in the policy statements and Mid- dle East exposure of our de- nominations and church agencies." Washington Advocacy Days is the latest sign of what appears to be a grow- ing trend of pro-Palestinian activism on the part of chur- ch groups, particularly mainline Protestant groups, that tends to cast Israel in a negative light. "This is a most serious at- tack on Israel," said Dr. Franklin Littell, a Protes- tant minister who is nation- al president of American Professors for Peace in the Middle East. "Washington Advocacy Days is not a unique effort. We're getting rumblings from all over," he said. "It's a massive campaign. "These churches have been an open road for PLO propaganda for years," he said. "It's another form of warfare, and it should be taken very seriously." In fact, Jewish organiza- tions are doing just that, ac- cording to Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum, an expert on Christian-Jewish relations who is immediate past chairman of the Interna- tional Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consulta- tions. "There is anxiety about this new activity," he said. "All of the major Jewish organizations in Washing- ton have it on their agenda." Despite the fact that so many Jewish organizations are anxious about organized pro-Palestinian lobbying on the part of some church groups, the issue is rarely discussed publicly. One reason is a reluctance to antagonize the Christian institutions and thereby risk harming Christian-Jewish relations. Another is the di- versity of church groups themselves. "It's not all one way or the other," said Rabbi A. James Rudin, national inter- religious affairs director of the American Jewish Com- mittee. "There are some factions within each denomination that are committed to the missionizing concept and the super-Arab point of view, and people on the other side who are strongly committed to improved Christian- Jewish relations and are pro- Israel in orientation," he said. The Presbyterian Church USA has been among the most consistently critical of Israel. According to Rev. Paul Hopkins, a retired Presby- terian minister who served for many years as Middle East liaison for the Presby- terian Church USA, it was the Presbyterian Church that provided the most pressure back in 1984 to get Churches for Middle East Peace under way. For over 150 years, the Presbyterian Church has es- tablished schools, colleges and orphanages throughout the Middle East. The Ameri- can University in Cairo, Bir Zeit University in Ramallah and the American Univer- sity in Beirut, which has re- cently been a center for anti- Israel activity, were all founded by the Presbyterian Church. While the organization did issue a landmark document on Christian-Jewish rela- tions in 1987 which ac- knowledged the biblical "promise of land to the peo- ple of Israel," it has also taken a number of strongly pro-Palestinian positions, some of which have been adopted by the National Council of Churches. ❑ LISTEN TO YOUR TRANSMISSION Regular transmission service by our factory-trained Mr. Goodwrench tgechnicians can prevent costly transmission replacement. FOR JUST 0 * $38.5 WE'LL: • Drain transmission fluid • Replace pan gasket • Clean the pan • Refill with transmission fluid • Clean transmission filter • Road test thoroughly Don't wait until your transmission growls. Come in today for a transmission tune-up that will keep your car purring. 'Additional parts extra if required. Offer expires 5/31190 LA 1111 11 111 OLDSMOBILE SAAB 354 3300 - 28000 Telegraph • Tel-12 Mall • Southfield THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 3