COMMUNITY VIEWS

A Bad Situation Is Getting Worse

neighborhoods, the tiny Christian
recently returned from a five-
community realizes that it can no
day visit to Israel. I went as one
longer count on the freedoms that
of four leaders of an interna-
Israel guarantees.
tional group of more than 100
As the world has learned
Christians who wanted to
from the situation in Beth-
demonstrate their solidarity
lehem (not to mention
with Israel.
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Indone-
Of all my trips to Israel,
sia and all other Muslim
this one, I believe, was the
countries), Christians are
most sobering and thought-
little more than hostages.
provoking. Several things
Israel has protected the
made a profound impact on
rights to freedom of speech
me during this trip, but
and religious practice of all
nothing as powerful as the
communities, but as a non-
deteriorating situation of
DAVID
Muslim minority in a Mus-
Palestinian Christians in
BLEWETT
lim society, Christians are
Israel.
Special to
seen as potential traitors and
Christian communities in
the Jewish News
governed as such. Being a
Judea, Samaria and Israel suf-
minority in a Muslim soci-
fer under the same Islamic
ety puts Christians in a very precari-_
intimidation and pressure as Jews in
ous situation.
Israel, but Christians have far fewer
resources with which to fight it. Chris-
Firsthand Accounts
tians have to watch what they say,
Many stories can be told that illustrate
what they do and whom they meet
the tenuous Christian position, two
with because they know that the Pales-
will
suffice:
tinian Authority is watching and keep-
• It is expected that the Coptic
ing accounts.
Orthodox Girl's School in Jerusalem,
Now that it looks as if the Christ-
which has serviced the Coptic Ortho-
ian neighborhoods of Jerusalem have
dox community since 1920, will have
been offered to the Palestinian
to close within the month due to lack
Authority along with the Muslim
of funding. Schools are among the
most valuable resources to minority
communities in the Middle East. By
David Blewett is executive director of
providing a means for young people to
the Ecumenical Institute for Jewish-
bond together and learn such things as
Christian Studies in Southfield. He also
their community history and the
is president and national director of the
teachings of their church, schools are
Novi-based National Christian Leader-
primary resources for developing the
ship Conference for Israel.

LETTERS

LETTERS

2001

32

help the Muslim efforts to drive the
Jews out of Jerusalem and Israel.
This is a frightening development
that puts all Christians anywhere in
Palestinian territory, or in potential
Palestinian territory, in tremendous
danger.

Danger Lurks

For the first time in nearly four years,
friends in Jerusalem could not find a
Palestinian Christian who would speak
with me. They all said that it was too
dangerous, no one felt that they could
take that big of a risk. This, I believe,
was the most powerful lesson I learned
on this trip to Israel: the Palestinian
Christian community has lost its safe-
ty net — Israel.
As it became known that the Unit-
ed States and Israeli positions on
Jerusalem included giving up Arab
neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem,
including the Old City, Christians
realized that they could no longer rely
on Israel for their secure future. Those
who are able are now leaving Israel,
those who cannot leave, must now try
to prove their loyalty to their potential
Palestinian rulers who see them as dis-
loyal and potential traitors.
Palestinian Christians can not say
it publicly, but they have said it to
me in the past, and they continue to
say it quietly to my friends in
Jerusalem today — they fear that
Jerusalem might one day be divided.
They know that their security
depends on Jerusalem remaining one
unitea city., ❑

frompage 31

halachic community as a Gadol
HaDor, literally, one of the giants, in
halachic scholarship, of our genera-
tion. In addition, Rabbi Tendler's cre-
dentials include a doctorate in biology
and being professor of biology at
Yeshiva University and chairman of
the bioethics commission of the Rab-
binical Council of America.
There are a mere handful of out-
standing scholars in the world known
as the Gedoley HaDor (giants of our
generation). Local rabbis look to these
gedolim to provide the sources by
which they can adjudicate difficult
questions put before them in their
own community.
At times, there are issues in which

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group identity and group allegiance
that will carry their community into
future generations. Without the
schools, the future of any community
is dangerously jeopardized.
I was told that, in reality, the fund-
ing sources that have kept the Coptic
Orthodox Girls School in operation
do continue to send the money. How-
ever, since no one is allowed to make
direct contributions to any organiza-
tion within the PA, all monies sent for
the school must be sent to the Pales-
tinian Authority headquarters in Gaza
to be distributed by Yasser Arafat.
Under this system, neither the Coptic
Orthodox Church nor the Girl's
School has received a penny in nearly
three years.
• While I was in Israel, on a Tues-
day night, all the crosses in the ceme-
tery of Beit Jala were broken. Beit Jala
has been a quiet Christian village
between Bethlehem and Jerusalem,
but has now been occupied by the
Palestinian Tanzim militia who are
using it to fire on Gilo, the nearby
Jerusalem neighborhood. (This is
exactly what the PLO did during the
civil war in Lebanon when they used
schools, churches and hospitals in
Beirut and other cities to camouflage
their gun placements.)
My friend who told me about this
solemnly said, "This is not a prank,
this is a death sentence."
She explained that the broken
crosses send a clear statement to
Christians that they are not wanted,
that they are not doing enough to

there are differences of opinion
between these scholars. For this rea-
son, both those who accept brain
death as well as those who do not
accept brain death as the determinant
of the endpoint of life can be consid-
ered right. Each position represents a
different school of thought amongst
the scholars.
Our organization encourages the
pledging of organs by everyone. Rabbi
Tendler is not alone in being a propo-
nent of organ donation, but he is the
most prominent rabbi in North Amer-
ica who holds this view.
We established our Web site to
show followers of Hathchah (Jewish
law) that they can rely on the opin-

ion of gedolim such as Rabbi
Tendler when making such a pledge.
We have made a special effort not to
be disparaging to anyone who fol-
lows a school of thought different
from ours.
It is true that development of trans-
genic organs by bioengineering may
make organ donation by humans
obsolete in the future. Until that
becomes a practical option, human
organ transplant will save thousands
of lives, which would otherwise be
lost.
Erwin H. Posner

Southfield

Using Guilt To Put
Us In Danger

I think it is selfish and immoral to
encourage travel to Israel at this time
("Warning Lashed," Dec. 15, page
14).
Oh, you can call me anti-Zionist,
but that's not true. Send your money
to Israel, but why risk your life? Why
risk the lives of your children, for any
reason? For Zionism? No.
I believe just as much as a fervent
Israeli supporter of the necessity and
importance of Israel. Yes, I understand
that Israel survives on American Jew-
ish tourism. Send your money if you
feel so motivated, but to lobby the