Posted on 10/18/2012 10:00:34 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Jewish groups pulled out of an upcoming meeting with Protestant colleagues over a letter from Christian leaders to congressmen calling for a possible suspension of U.S. aid to Israel.
“While we remain committed to continuing our dialogue and our collaboration on the many issues of common concern, the letter represents an escalation in activity that the Jewish participants feel precludes a business-as-usual approach,” stated a letter sent by seven Jewish groups to their Christian counterparts in canceling their participation in the Oct. 22 -23 meeting in New York.
The event, an annual gathering, is known as the Christian-Jewish Roundtable and began in 2004 when the issue of Protestant groups divesting from their financial portfolios operations doing business with Israel rose to prominence. Prior to the Protestants' letter to the lawmakers, participants had pledged to update one another on activities regarding Israel, such as the Palestinians' unilateral statehood push in the United Nations and the upcoming Israeli elections.
The letter by the Jewish representatives was signed by the American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith International, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Rabbinical Assembly, the Union for Reform Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. The Anti-Defamation League had announced earlier this week that it would not attend the meeting.
The Jewish groups quit their participation, Ethan Felson, vice president and general counsel of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs umbrella group told JTA, because “There’s been a betrayal of trust. … We have to discern if there’s a positive path forward.”
Signers of the Protestants’ letter to Congress included the heads of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, the National Council of Churches USA and the United Church of Christ.
Saying they have “witnessed the pain and suffering” of both Israelis and Palestinians, they implored the lawmakers to launch “an immediate investigation into possible violations by Israel” of agreements with Washington for alleged illegal use of U.S.-sold weapons against Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Rachel Lerner, vice president of the J Street Educational Fund, wrote last Friday on the Daily Beast website that her liberal pro-Israel group “opposes proposals to condition or cut security assistance to Israel.” She added, however, that J Street shared the Christian leaders’ “concern that conditions in the region are deteriorating to the point where they `threaten to lead the region further away from the realization of a just peace.’ ”
Lerner called for American Jews to put "at least as much energy and effort" into pushing for a two-state solution as they are putting into fighting such letters, of which she said there would be more.
Also, a dozen Jewish clergy allied with Jewish Voice for Peace praised the Protestants’ leaders call. Many of the organization's members have called for boycotts of Israel.
“It is altogether appropriate -- and in fact essential -- for Congress to ensure that Israel is not in violation of any U.S. laws or policies that regulate the use of U.S. supplied weapons,” said the statement signed by 10 rabbis, two rabbinical students and a cantor.
....Signers of the Protestants’ letter to Congress included the heads of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, the National Council of Churches USA and the United Church of Christ. Saying they have “witnessed the pain and suffering” of both Israelis and Palestinians, they implored the lawmakers to launch “an immediate investigation into possible violations by Israel” of agreements with Washington for alleged illegal use of U.S.-sold weapons against Palestinians.
What did they expect from leftist denominations?
“Signers of the Protestants’ letter to Congress included the heads of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, the National Council of Churches USA and the United Church of Christ.”
not at all surprised here. Leftist, very pro-”people” choice (communism), very anti-military, anti-American and anti-Israel. Sigh. Local churches might not be like the denominational headquarters, but sadly money collected is sent up to these nutballs and they think they “control” us.
This is why nondenominational churches are on the rise...
Guess what Jewish groups OBAMA is not Israel’s friend
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/03/divestment-from-israel-united-methodist_n_1472857.html
Divestment From Israel: United Methodists Reject Resolutions To Stop Investing
By Daniel Burke
Religion News Service
(RNS) United Methodists twice rejected resolutions on Wednesday (May 2) that called for the denomination to divest from companies accused of contributing to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Neither vote was particularly close, with about two-thirds of the 1,000 delegates gathered in Tampa, Fla., through May 4 rejecting the calls for divestment.
.
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“J Street Educational Fund, wrote last Friday on the Daily Beast website that her liberal pro-Israel group “
J Street is about as pro-Israel as Iran.
For instance, it always appears that Lutherans are supporting some liberal cause when they see the title "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" as a signatory.
Wrong! The apostate leaders in the leftist ELCA don't speak for me and my church denomination, the conservative Missouri Synod Lutheran Church.
I thank God every day my synod holds firm and doesn't fall into lockstep with the unscriptured, radical heretics in other denominations.
Leni
Check out the Protestant groups involved. The CUSTOMARY collection of liberal, left-wing d——e bags who are ruining Christianity. Just another reason I am HAPPY I left the Methodist Church.
True. There are three Presbyterian groups in America. Only the ELA is involved with this stuff.
I read that same sentence in the posted article and was thinking exactly the same thing. That's nailing it. Great line, Jewbacca!
Here's hoping J Street atrophies completely when their ties to the White House are cut off as Romney moves in.
Lefitst and REPLACEMENT THEOLOGIST denominations....
Is Soros a backer of pseudo Jstreet?
Yes!!! Google it and there will be quite a number of articles linking Soros to J Street, although I don't know if they have officially admitted it.
BTW, J Street has a number of local chapters going. Apparently they sponsored a presidential debate watching party at a Jewish community center in Pittsburgh last night, and supposedly drew an audience of about 50 people (more than what Sandra Fluke drew to her Obama campaign event in Nevada the other day, but not exactly impressive). But somehow, there was an AP writer with them so they became part of a national news story on public reactions to the debate. Not surprisingly, they cheered on their favorite, Obama. The AP writer had the gall to describe J Street as "non partisan."
Hopefully, J Street will start to decline when they no longer have a friend in the White House, if they haven't already.
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