Editor's Letter
No Peace Seeker
I
t purports to be a Palestinian Christian peace group
that seeks tolerance between Israelis and Palestinians. It
expresses spirituality through "love, justice, peace, nonvio-
lence, liberation and reconciliation for the different national and
faith communities!'
Beneath the veneer, however, the Sabeel Ecumenical
Liberation Theology Center of
Jerusalem boasts something more:
a Palestinian nationalist agenda, an
extremist theology and anti-Israel/
anti-Jewish bias. Israel is cast as the
evil aggressor and sole instigator of
Palestinian retaliation and terror.
Metaphors are the deceptions of choice
to describe Israel as a Christ-killing
nation. Sabeel's religious mission is
merely a front for a political force bent
on demonizing and de-legitimizing
Israel and vilifying the Jewish people.
In a calculating way, Sabeel weaves false claims, historical
distortions and international law misinterpretations into a
cloak of anti-Zionist canards. Israel's record of giving up land
and uprooting Jewish communities in the disputed territories
as gestures of peace are ignored.
I have no problem with legitimate criticism of Israel, its gov-
ernment or its policies. But Sabeel is built on a foundation of
intolerance. It's not a voice of truth or a champion of peace.
No Zionist Friend
In a critique I received from its Oakland County-based
Michigan chapter, StandWithUs, a Los Angeles-based Israel
education and advocacy group, identifies Sabeel as a purveyor
of anti-Semitism and a promoter of divestment with Israel
as the target. Since 2004, Sabeel has convinced at least three
Protestant church groups to divest: Presbyterian Church (USA),
Anglican Church in America, World Council of Churches.
The Detroit Jewish community must take notice given that a
Sabeel regional conference is scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at First
Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. The conference theme
is: "Peace, Palestine & U.S. Policy 1948-2008:' According to the
Ann Arbor/Detroit Friends of Sabeel, the goal of the Friends of
Sabeel North America parley is to spur educated dialogue on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, `emphasizing how we, as American
citizens, can make a positive impact" in search of "a just peace!'
That goal seems reasonable until you consider StandWithUs'
dissection of Sabeel. Despite a half-hearted condemnation of
violence, Sabeel dismisses terrorism by Palestinians as classic
resistance, even comparing suicide bombers with the biblical
Samson. Sabeel also brands Israeli Jews as modern-day Nazis,
according to StandWithUs.
Further, Sabeel revives medieval deicide and blood libels por-
traying the Jews as Christ-killers, baby-killers and blockaders of
Jesus' Resurrection. Sabeel extends those libels today, believing
the Israeli government crucifies Palestinians of all ages and,
in an apparent reference to the stone placed at the entrance of
Jesus' tomb, has entombed them behind a fence.
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Sabeers Thrust
StandWithUs/Michigan Chapter Chairman Eugene Greenstein
reinforces that Sabeel blames Israel for the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict and misinforms well-meaning audiences with one-
sided, anti-Israel information.
"Missing from Sabeel presentations is the backdrop of the
ongoing terrorism that Israel faces from neighbors who are not
seeking peace with Israel, but rather the replacement of Israel:
Greenstein told me last week.
Sabeel founding director Naim Ateek, a Palestinian Anglican
canon in east Jerusalem, believes that Israel has no right to
exist. He claims the ideal solution is one state including Israel
and the Palestinian territories, ending the Jewish-majority state.
StandWithUs maintains Sabeel doesn't represent Christians
within the West Bank or Gaza. In an attempt to portray Israel
as a human rights abuser, Sabeel is silent about the escalating
intolerance and persecution of Palestinian Christians at the
hands of Islamist terrorists.
First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham is only renting
Sabeel meeting space; it is not a sponsor nor endorsing the
conference. But it could have been more selective. Did First
Presbyterian not realize the peace process is mere cover for an
exercise in Israel- and Jew-bashing?
For its part, the church readily accepted 50 copies of Israel
101 and other StandWithUs literature to learn more about
Sabeel. So the church is clearly willing to look at the facts and
hopefully tighten its vetting process.
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Wayward Words
Given the tenor of the speakers, StandWithUs expects the
Sabeel conference to espouse more than the promised "basic
history and information!' Expect such hyperbole as Israel
being in violation of at least 60 U.N. resolutions and of inter-
national law, with full U.S. support — the defense and security
of its people, and the more than 1,000 Israeli deaths caused by
Palestinian terror since 2000, be damned.
The most disconcerting speakers include Naim Ateek, Ilan
Pappe, an Israeli revisionist historian, and Joel Kovel, a Jewish
U.S. college professor whose book Overcoming Zionism: Creating
A Single Democratic State in Israel/Palestine promotes the dis-
mantlement of Israel into a secular state. Kovel is a Jewish social
studies professor at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.
His book's key pursuit is foreboding: one state, a secular "uni-
versal democracy" called Palesrael, for Jews and Arabs with a
complete right of return for displaced Palestinian refugees. The
State of Israel would cease as we know it.
No Peace on page A6
Bringing Light
Five local Jewish communal groups are appealing to the Metro Detroit Christian community and larger interfaith
community in an effort to heighten awareness about Sabeel's actions and statements.
The B'nai B'rith Great Lakes Region, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Anti-Defamation League, the
American Jewish Committee and StandWithUs hope this intervention staves off damaged Jewish-Christian rela-
tions because of the locally held Sabeel conference.
The outreach certainly should help Christians learn more about Sabeel, regardless of individual Christians' views
on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its manifestations.
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August 21 . 2008
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