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Presbyterian Church USA in Middle East Review Committee recommends Kairos Document study by the General Assembly 2010
by Peter Menkin

The Kairos Document is a plant, a kind of Christian peaceful means is to declare war rests on a variety of “peaceful methods” of protest and action in relation to the activities of a nation’s unfair and unjust in its own national system of self-hood, in his own actions and national policy towards its citizens and its own national action plans against another nation. Kairos document is a work of Palestinian Christians and Israel believes as a state government was created, and this writer made in the assessment of its Jewish citizens and Jews in general, regardless of their nationality.

This last statement on this is a mirror image of Jews as a people, as the government of Israel and Israeli actions against Palestine is probably the largest range of judgments against what is respectable in many quarters as a radical document that are not recommended as adopted by the Presbyterian Church / Policy Committee of Israel in the Middle East United States Presbyterian Church at its General Assembly in July 2010. All parts of the Cairo document was heavily criticized, and held an anti-Semite by the large mainline Jewish organizations in the United States, including the organization respects the rights of man, the Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.

This article is the third in a series of three to the Middle East Policy Committee of the Presbyterian Church USA, the paper of 150 pages and can be found here. It is the last of three reports in this series, and the reader is not with the Kairos document, a PDF of this document can be found here. This is an important document, the support of many Presbyterians, of course, because it appears in its recommendations on policy towards Israel, and is popularly used by many “peace” groups in the United States supported, and even Europe and the Middle East.

In an effort to increase transparency in the second row, the author offers an opinion on the need for Israel, peace and peace for all the Middle East. With the caveat that this a review and report, not an editorial or opinion reflect the opinions of the author, however, it is fair to say that the key work for Peace Middle East is the continuation of the dialogue, the lack of hostilities, the truces and cease-fire aspects of the various types of means. It takes a mature series of diplomatic measures necessary on the part of nations. The efforts of the U.S. Presbyterian Church in his policy recommendations is an attempt at peace, as the intention of the United States Presbyterian Church. Without doubt their sincerity, in the estimation of this writer and is clearly the work of the Presbyterian Church, where they form Christian responses to Israel and Middle East issues.

readers who are with the report Presbyterian Church USA and the following policy, developed as it knows that this is a controversial document, the more controversial of his registration this year the Kairos document in connection with his recommendation for approval. He recognizes the Jewish community fear and loathing of what he believes anti-Semitism and a proposed policy that will rid the state of Israel. The list of organizations believe that the act of companies is long, and takes it with an example of these writers remain the Wiesenthal Center. After all, a comment and report publicly, and as such in the interest of fairness requires notice and reflect these concerns and a series of observations was shocked by the views of Israelis and Jewish organizations for those writers clearly stated in the United States. They are used by many other voices, the report biased and unfair to Israel and the Jewish community are joined. That is, with the hope that there is much value in the report that read Christians and Presbyterians and to legislate in a position to do in fairness to the American Presbyterian Church, and this comment, the report in an effort on the recommendations of the Committee in this space with words continue to speak. Rate this article is a compilation of comments and reports on the Kairos document in an attempt to describe and understand the questions.

“Christian Century” a more liberal U.S. magazine has reviewed the report and the authors who come to renowned scholar comments on the document before the General Assembly . The authors are: Ted A. Smith and Amy-Jill Levine. The title of the article states: “. The habits of anti-Judaism CPUSA criticize a report on Israel and Palestine”

The meeting of the Committee appointed to prepare “a comprehensive study with recommendations that focused on Israel and Palestine in the complex context of the Middle East. ”

The Audit Committee has a number of actions to avoid his wish some of the most common forms of false statements against the Jews, reflect. For example, he notes that most Presbyterians supersessionist stories, “Christians have replaced Jews” in which refuse is “the only legitimate heirs of God’s covenant with Abraham.” Signalling supersessionism this rejection, says the report by “Old Testament” and “New Testament” in its biblical references. Such language is neither necessary nor sufficient to prevent the replacement theory, but it suggests at least a desire, a gospel that does not begin with the rejection of God preach to Jews.

Although criticism of the Middle East Review Committee report and said that many academics in their Christian Century sectional view of the Presbyterian Church USA high marks for good posture.

What is the Presbyterian committee that the members of the Presbyterian Church USA, and the Christians in general, take a moment to consider this. Report Rev. Dr. Ron Shive, in a press release states. “It is a challenge, a report of this length to present,” “The temptation to support a sound clip or defend its position is to leave incredibly strong, but we ask everyone to please read the full report for yourself and use additional resources to www.pcusa.org / middle east peace. “

” The situation in the Middle East for no less crucial, “he said

Here, in the same press statement is a good representation of the interests in the Middle East Review Committee and the view.

The report is a review of statements of general policy of the Assembly on the Middle East, dating from the founding of Israel in 1948. The Committee noted that these statements consistently called for a two-state solution with the rights, dignity and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

However, the report of the Committee, the urgency is always a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “The real problem is that we embrace all that the window of opportunity to to end occupation and viability of a two-state solution includes fast is this for the most part. the rapid growth of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the rise in the number of bypasses, the injustice of the separation wall and the tragic destruction of houses.

The report continues, “is a just and lasting peace and security of Israel is possible if the occupation ends and the violence of Palestinian resistance no longer be used. a just and lasting peace and security for the Palestinians is possible if the occupation ended and Israel need not military force to keep his illegal possession of land. If there were no occupation, there would be no Palestinian resistance. If there are no Palestinian resistance, the Israelis can live in peace and security. “

Inexcusable violence committed by the occupying forces of the powerful Israeli army and Jewish settlers in the West Bank and the Palestinians, including a relatively small minority resorted to violence as a means of resistance to. Crew “

The Committee concluded:” Violence is not an acceptable means to peace, whatever its justification

It is clear that. the report is a “peace” document because it says: “Violence is not an acceptable means to peace, which is their justification. “

A reader in the press statement of the reasons the position on the report and its intention to view given by its chairman, Ron. Shive Rev. Dr. Ron Shive is good spokesman for the declarations of the U.S. Presbyterian Church gave her statement on the report goes to the length.

The committee has 39 recommendations to the 219th General Assembly as detailed and comprehensive as the report itself

In her opening remarks to the recommendations of the committee that wrote “they are looking at the PC (USA) ‘past positions on behalf of peace between Israelis and Palestinians and the cessation of violence by all parties and to strengthen opposition to Israel’s continued expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and the continued occupation of these territories

The comments further. “We also call to negotiate the various Palestinian factions of a single government ready to recognize Israel’s existence. We express our concern and dismay on both the rapid exodus of Christians Israel / Palestine by discrimination and anti-Palestinian oppression, the rise of fundamentalist Islamic and Jewish and not job-related economic opportunities;. and also to the exodus of Christians from other parts of the region by various factors, military, economic, religious, cultural causes, and against the government of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, sponsorship of international guerrillas and. Threat they pose to Israel and Arab states “

The committee wrote:” We deeply value our relationship with Jews and Muslims in the U.S., Israel and the predominantly Muslim countries of the Middle East . But the bonds of friendship must not prevent us talking, nor limit our empathy for the suffering of others. Inaction and silence on our part we are, in contrast to the actions and consequences we can cry. We know how heavy recent actions have lost by our government put Christians in the Muslim world. We recognize that large quantities of taxpayers’ money from the United States food of the various conflicts in the Middle East, including two current wars and the need for defensible Jewish settlements in Palestine.

And finally: “We also recognize that imposing our commitment to support both for the violence in all its forms and its continued occupation of Palestine and the end of regulation integrity requirements, such as Presbyterian Church (USA) is using its own resources and investment are clear. We reaffirm the legitimacy of Israel as a state, but the continued occupation of Palestine (West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem) as illegitimate under international law, illegal, and a permanent threat for peace in the region. We also recognize that any support for that weakens our nation’s moral position internationally and our security. “

The interest in the PC approach (USA) to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has intensified since the General Assembly action to begin in 2004, processing the disposal of companies to support their activities further injury.

The Presbyterian Church USA by reports in the Jewish community (USA) has been stung, they are anti-Semitic. In another long statement made in February 2010, the Presbyterian Church has responded to claims of anti-Semitism on the part of the Wiesenthal Center, a respected human rights organization. This is their slow response to this complaint, with difficulty by the Wiesenthal Center.

23rd February 2010

Statement by Rev. Grady Parsons said, the clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on the work of the General Assembly in the Middle East Study Team .

A human rights organization in the Jewish community in a statement on the report to the 219th General Assembly (2010) Committee of the General Assembly, a comprehensive study focused on Israel and Palestine work. The declaration states: “… We are deeply concerned that the current efforts under way to leave the church radically from its commitment in 2008 that the review would be the policy in the Middle East fair and balanced.”

The report of the Middle East Study Team, the … contains a letter to the American Jewish community, the study team began the letter with the words:

We want to be sure you say so very clearly. We support the existence of Israel as a sovereign nation within secure and recognized borders, no “, but” no “let’s get this road, we can say what we really want to say.” We support the existence of Israel by the UN General Assembly released. We support the existence of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people. We have noted before, and we’ll say it again. We want to say this because we think, say, because we continue to come true

The team, the 218th to an intensive study, meetings and travel in the Middle East since his appointment following the General Assembly (2008), has embarked on:

And while we have the pursuit of strategies around the occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights in particular, are sad. Many of us come to this work of love for Israel. And it is because of this love that we have the things we say about the excesses of the occupation continue to say, the settlement infrastructure and the absolute death knell, it has resonance for the hope of a two-state solution, a solution the Presbyterian Church (USA) has supported more than sixty years.

Several previous general assemblies of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have statements on Israel / Palestine adopted two statements:

In 2004: The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has numerous resolutions on Israel and Palestine, repeatedly stated, clearly and unmistakably authorized to recognize Israel’s right to exist within permanent and “safe” limits (eg 1969, 1974, 1977, 1983, 1989, etc.) . He deplored the increasing spiral of violence, carried out by Palestinians and Israelis, which is rooted the continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories (cf. statements of successive assemblies since 1967). Presbyterians, on the loss of so many innocent lives of Israelis and Palestinians continued concern (see “Resolution on the Middle East in 1997, approved, and” Resolution on Israel and Palestine: End the occupation now “, approved in 2003),” Minutes GA, 2004, pp. 66

In the year 2006. We call on the church … “Building on the work by peaceful means with American and Israeli Jews, American and Palestinian Muslim and Palestinian Christian communities and their affiliated organizations to a social, economically, geographically and politically viable and secure Palestinian state alongside a state equally viable and secure Israeli, the both have the right to exist. “GA Minutes, 2006, p. 945th

I join the Middle East, a study team report to the General Assembly present this summer with the question everyone continue to pray and work for peace in Jerusalem.

The reader can easily see, , Report of the Committee of PC (USA) is controversial, and even before officially released in March in February 2010 criticized the Wiesenthal Center, this letter from one of his men has offered.

I am deeply concerned about the dangerous action to delegitimize the Jewish state and its supporters by a committee that is dominated by militants openly hostile towards Israel launched worried. Are you willing to put the PCUSA policy on a collision course with Israel’s survival.

The adoption of the conclusions proposed by the committee to reconsider CPUSA Middle East policy is nothing short of a declaration of war against the Jewish state. It is the extremists in the Middle East, demonization of Israel supporters in America, and destroy the era of good will, sponsored by the Jewish community for decades.

I call CPUSA match its 2008 commitment of the General Assembly by the votes of many in the Middle East to hear and adopt sound policies for Israelis and Palestinians.

Rabbi Adlerstein Yitzoch in an e-mail notices with this writer areas Kairos Document, which he says are disgusting and destructive to the peace process. The rabbi is on staff of the Wiesenthal Center and specializes in interfaith relations. Wikipedia says that Rabbi Adlerstein, Rabbi Yitzchak Adlerstein (born 1950 in New York), an Orthodox rabbi, who has played an important role as a speaker, teacher, writer, and in the name of Orthodox Judaism and Baal Teshuva movement in the United States. He is a leader of the moderate Haredi Judaism in connection with the outside world, “he writes extensively for a broad spectrum of Orthodox Jews and essays have been published in Jewish Action (the official magazine of the Orthodox Union). The Jewish Observer (the official magazine of the Agudath Israel of America); Torah U-Madda Journal (Yeshiva University); newspaper Tradition (Rabbinical Council of America), the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, the Jewish press (a weekly English language with the largest circulation) in the publications of the National Council of Young Israel and in the press and many other online forums. He is co-founder and author of current-cons [1], found publishes an online journal of Orthodox Jewish thought in blog format.

“He writes regularly for the cross-currents [1] Journal Online, and writes the” Bytes & PC “column in the quarterly journal of Jewish Action. He is often quoted by the Los Angeles Times and several other print and online publications such as the voice of the Haredi Judaism [14]

“In 2000, his enlightenment,” Be’er Hagolah “(ISBN 1-57819-463 -. 6) The classic defense of rabbinic Judaism by Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (1525-1609) (known as the Maharal) was established by Mesorah Publications, a subsidiary of the leading English language publishers Orthodox Artscroll Judaica.

“He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Reena for its exceptional cuisine and hospitality. known”

comments by Rabbi Adlerstein on extracts. Kairos document to this writer first introduced to the Kairos Document:

A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering ‘of / strong

Introduction > / pNous, a group of Palestinian Christians, after the prayers, reflection and exchange of opinions, screaming in pain in our country who are under Israeli occupation, with a cry of hope in the absence of hope, a cry of prayer and faith in God always alert to God’s providence for all inhabitants of this land divinely . ..

Why now? Because we are now .. have reached a dead end in the tragedy of the Palestinian People, 1 The reality on the ground

1.1 “They say,” Peace, peace “when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:00 , 14). 1.1.1 The separation wall on Palestinian land, [ YA built: Who saved the lives of thousands of Arabs and Jews. Fences are inconvenient, death is final .] Much of what has been seized for this purpose, our cities and towns in prison, separated from each transformed so that they scattered and divided cantons. Gaza, particularly after the cruel war, Israel has launched against them [YA. No reference to the 8000 missile it against civilians in Israel] in December 2008 and January 2009, continue to live in inhumane conditions, under a permanent blockade and cut off from other Palestinian areas.

1.1.2 Israeli settlements have ravaged the country in the name of God and the name of the force to take control of our natural resources, including water and arable land, and that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, is an obstacle to a political solution.

1.1.3 Reality is the daily humiliation to which we are military checkpoints, as we made our way to employment, schools or hospitals

1.1.5 Freedom of religion is severely restricted;. free access to holy places under the pretext of security rejected. [ YA: Call the thousands of victims in the Second Intifada an excuse ] Jerusalem and its holy places are off limits br for many Christians and Muslims in the West Bank and Gaza 1.1.6 refugees are also part of our reality. Most of them are still living in camps under difficult conditions. They were waiting for their right of return, [ YA: Who was there, if not their Arab brothers. A "right of return" means the end of the State of Israel, period.] , from generation to generation. What will be their fate?

1.1.7 The prisoners languish thousands of prisoners in Israeli jails? [ YA. If they are for parking tickets, or for the murder of Israeli civilians ] Stir in the part of our reality. Heaven and earth to free the Israelis a prisoner, and the thousands of Palestinian prisoners when they have their freedom?

1.2 is also part of this reality is that Israel has no international law … Human rights are being violated, and despite several reports of local and international human rights organizations continue to injustice.

1.3 Migration is another element in our reality. The lack of a vision or a spark of hope for peace and freedom drives young people, Muslims and Christians to emigrate. … The decrease in the number of Christians, especially in Palestine, [ YA .. Reduce growing areas of the Arab control on the Israeli side of the Green Line ] is a consequence of Hazardous

1.4 In light of this reality, Israel justifies its actions of self-defense, including employment, collective punishment and other forms of repression against the Palestinians. In our view, this vision a reversal of reality. Yes, it is the Palestinian resistance against the occupation. However, there would be no occupation, there would be no resistance. [ YA: really say that the victims of the pogrom in Hebron in 1929, and tens of thousands less than that between then and 1967, when the "occupation" began ]
.

1.5 The Palestinian response to this reality has been mixed, some have responded by negotiation. It is the official position of the Palestinian National Authority, but does not advance the peace process. . Some political parties have followed the path of armed resistance [ YA. ". Resistance" So, suicide bombing, the moral support of the clergy is simply given a form of understandable .] Israel has used that excuse, accusing the Palestinians as terrorists and could distort the true nature of the conflict, which as an Israeli war against terrorism, rather than the Israeli occupation of Palestinian resistance confronted Legal cancel.

2.2.2 We believe that the Word of God is a living word, through light in every single period of history, manifested in Christians believe that God tells us here and now. For this reason, it is unacceptable to pervert the Word of God in letters of stone once again the love of God and His providence in the life of peoples and individuals. C ‘is precisely the error in interpretation of biblical fundamentalist, death and destruction if the word of God is petrified and sent to bring down from generation to generation as a dead letter. ignore This is used as a weapon in our present history, we deprive our rights at home

2.3 We believe that our earth is a universal mission [ Ya .. . Ie, not a promise to the Jewish people ] open in this community, the sense of promise, the country of choice to the people of God to all mankind, of all people of this country. In the light of the teachings of the Bible, the promise of the land has never been a political program, but rather the prelude to universal salvation. It was the opening of the realization of the Kingdom of God on earth.

2.3.2 Our presence in this country, that Palestinian Christians and Muslims is not accidental, but is deeply rooted in history and geography of the country, in resonance with the connectivity of all other peoples of the earth, he saw that it was an injustice if we were expelled. The West has tried to repair what the Jews suffered in the European countries, but he made changes in our name and in our country [ YA. Apart from thousands of years of continuous Jewish presence in the earth, and a century of building it before the proclamation of the state that these people start with the history of Israel a sense of guilt of the West after the !] They tried to correct an injustice, and the result was a new injustice.