Scott McConnell writes:
I’m just back from spending parts of two days two days at Churches for Middle East Peace annual grassroots advocacy conference in Washington. I’ve always wondered why CMEP, a splendid and wise organization, isn’t larger. Everything about the conference was first rate: the center, the planning, the speakers, the people attending. It’s the first time I’ve gone, so I can’t make easy comparisons, but it seems this incredibly underfunded group—I believe its annual budget is less than one percent of AIPAC’s—is beginning to hit its stride. I met nothing but smart people, some longtime “peace and justice” advocates, some newly minted ones.
CMEP will (soon I hope) post the speeches on its website, so I will only make some ancillary observations. Daniel Levy, who gave one of the talks, was correct to say, actually to plead, that liberal Jews can’t wage this battle by themselves. “You have a stake in this fight.” He talked of his recent trip to Gaza, and the Israeli fighters overhead, which ten year old Palestinian children loudly identified as “F-16 Amerikishi.” Every time Israel bombs a school, we, Americans, are directly implicated.
Secondly, boy is Christian advocacy ever careful these days. I attended one workshop on how to build interfaith coalitions and heard earnest women from the Midwest say they were very careful to never to use terms like “occupation” that might upset Jews in their community. The spell was thankfully broken by a Jewish guy who said “You’ll never get anywhere if you let Jews hold your group hostage.” But there are aspects to this problem I hadn’t thought of—Lutheran clergyman from Minnesota (the heartland, along with Wisconsin, of American antiwar progressivism) say that it was very difficult for a Lutheran to say anything critical of Israel—there are Martin Luther’s anti-Semitic words to live down, and the German ancestry of many Lutherans as well. I think that explains a lot—but Lutherans are incredibly active in the Holy Land in positive ways—Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem is a hive of medical and social services. Time to get over the guilt for things you had nothing to do with. I thought many times of John Murray Cuddihy’s fine book “No Offense” about contemporary American Protestantism—and how tragic it would be if that impulse left American Mideast policy in the hands of Neocons, the Israel lobby, and their Christian right yes-men.
Third, if you listen to some Congressional staffers, the more flamboyant criticisms of Congress’s fealty to the Lobby seem confirmed. One Congressional aide, addressing another workshop, stated that one should always strive to present whatever one proposed as “in Israel’s interests” to have any chance of getting heard in Congress. I wonder if this seemed as odd to other people as to me.
Today was Lobby your Congressman day, and since I live in DC, I’ve decided to enlist Donna Edwards to represent me. Six of us traipsed to her office, and met with a young staffer. I’m less worried than Phil that she will get the Cynthia McKinney treatment—there were lots of people at the conference who knew her and her record, who live nearby and would volunteer to canvass for her or raise funds. I have the feeling that McKinney was more radical than Edwards, and certainly more likely to associate with black figures who would alienate whites, or be made to appear Farrakhanite or something. Edwards is courageous, certainly, but also a political pro accustomed used to operating in modern multicultural, multiracial politics. I must have met a dozen people people there willing to canvass and raise money for her—white, Asian, Hispanic, middle class, politically active. I don’t think Cynthia McKinney had that.
Apropos, the church watchdog working for CAMERA (the David Project has one too) recently did the usual kind of hit piece against Rev. Margaret Payne, Bishop of the New England Synod for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), who spoke out on behalf of Palestinian rights. She responded with a curt “Get lost! letter. Well worth reading the whole exchange here: http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=7&x...
'Every time Israel bombs a school, we, Americans, are directly implicated. ' yes,,Israel uses american weapons! In violation of the Arms Export Conrtol ACT: http://www.antiwar.com/ips/deen.php?articleid=932... yet, US has NEVER enforced this law!
The requirement that you must preface any proposal about Israel by saying that it is in Israel's interest reminds me of the campaign between McCain and Obama and the rule about criticizing McCain. If you recall, every time Obama criticized McCain, he began by saying, "John McCain is an honorable man…" It worked like a charm.
RE: "Edwards is courageous, certainly, but also a political pro accustomed used to operating in modern multicultural, multiracial politics." Donna Edwards for Congress – http://www.donnaedwardsforcongress.com/
Interesting stuff. Thanks for the link.
I experienced this first-hand when I visited my mother's church this past Sunday. She usually takes my kids there but she's unavailable for a while, and for various reasons I wanted them to check in with their community. Turns out it was Palestine-Israel World Peace week, and the service included testimony from a church member who had gone to the Citizens' Inquiry on Gaza in San Francisco. She related a story told by one of the survivors of this year's onslaught, and she broke down in tears in the pulpit. The committee chair who is dealing with this issue put forth a plan which was grounded in prayer. He's an ex-leftie, or a still-leftie who has decided that materialism is not the answer. Bitterness and anger is a sin. Our political action has to be grounded in prayer. Well that's where I'm at as well, so I was all ears. I will be writing up this church experience in more detail on my blog in the coming days. KIds are on my hands because of summer and I'm a bit overwhelmed. I am VERY grateful to Scott for reporting on the national organization's effort; I am very impressed with the organizing and activism at the grass roots level in my mother's little church. I will be helping them as I am able. They want to witness. They want to change what the US does in Palestine. "We can't say that we don't know." the speaker said from the pulpit. "And now that we know what is happening in Gaza, what are we going to do about it?"
Yes you are right, all the past administrations and all three branches of government as well
It is too bad for the people whom have been lead to believe Palestinians are shooting rockets for no reason
To everyone here The solution to this problem is as JOHN MEARSHIEMER or someone here suggested. GET CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS TO JOIN J STREET and form a lobby with funding, that rivals AIPAC. All these Christian Churches who are scared of the Israeli Likud Lobby (AIPAC) along with mainstream Muslims need to get their act together. Can anyone here organise a grass roots movement that brings all these groups together and combine their resources? How about asking J Street to actively reach out to these Christian and Muslim groups so that they can become more powerful? People like Walt and Mearsheimer, amongst others would be happy to lend their voices too . What say everyone?
Excellent idea. Thanks. I am an American Christian-raised agnostic who would not have the slightest idea how to involve churches in this. Any advice would be appreciated.
I praise the Christians who share our concerns, but they seem to be a rather small minority of their faith. At least most so-called Christians I come across are bigots who couldn't care less what happens to Arabs and/or Jews, and the wackos who think that ethnically cleansing the West Bank will lead to a massive blood sacrifice of Jews to the Antichrist bringing Jesus back. Best I can tell, most of us who actually care about bringing peace to the region are either agnostics or secular humanists, so I think trying to tie religion into this is a poor idea. I'd bet the bank that Citizens for Middle East Peace would draw considerably larger crowd than Churches for Middle East Peace.
CMEP's mission statement: CMEP supports a safe and secure state of Israel. It urges the United States to pursue the creation of a Palestinian state and the end of Israel’s occupation as integral to helping Israel achieve the security, recognition and normalization of relations with all countries of the region that it has long been denied. CMEP has pressed U.S. officials to urge Israel not to take actions that would prejudge the final outcome of negotiations including settlement expansion in the West Bank and Jerusalem area and the routing of its separation barrier on West Bank land. CMEP recognizes Israel’s legitimate security requirements and its need to defend itself against terrorist attacks. During times of heightened violence, CMEP has also urged the United States to encourage restrained military responses. At other times, CMEP has intervened with the State Department to encourage Israel to help improve the economic situation and daily life of the Palestinians by easing movement and access.
That doesn't relate to Israel issues only, but is a polite standard. Obviously. If I first tell you something positive, I signal to you, that I don't condemn you as person, I am only criticizing the special thing to which I then proceed. Praise opens people up, makes them listening to your complaints/critique. If you immediately jump on someone with your complaint, you force him into a position of pure defense which prevents a dialog.
Best I can tell, most of us who actually care about bringing peace to the region are either agnostics or secular humanists That makes it even more important to reach other sectors of the American society.
These well intentioned overtures by organizations like CMEP mean as much as dust mites to the Israelis, who have long experience in brushing off any appeal from any christian organization like so much lint. The Israeli standard response to a christian organization which dared raise its voice in mildest criticism is "and you should say…". Which does cow many of them as Scott mentions. And since that is Israel's response, the state department is often caught between the rocks thrown in Israel at any and all, and the hard place that is israeli "conscience".
Long Version: Zionizing Muslims via Interfaith Dialogue describes of the core dishonesty of Jews that take part in interfaith activities. Americans need to learn about the Jewish criminality, violence, targeted assassinations, and mass murder that provided the context to which the Holocaust was a reaction: Jewish Peril: 1933 Versus 2009. Non-Jews have to start forcing non-Jewish fellow travelers to understand that there is a downside to supporting Zionism: Louis Proyect: Pious warmongers. Most important: it is not: it is not worthwhile to deal with Jews, who refuse to agree that the IDF is a terrorist organization. Pro-Palestinian groups must educate and agitate to force Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey to designate the IDF officially as a terrorist organization and Israel officially as a terrorist state. At the point, the FBI were be forced to arrest Israel supporters for aiding and abetting Zionist terrorist (with concomitant asset seizures). The problem of the Israel Lobby and Jewish Zionist subversion and ethnonational financial warfare will disappear very quickly.
Another Blumenthal video: Dr Jim West: Stuff Like This Makes Me Wish There Were No Christian Zionists
Yes, thanks. Bishop Payne makes her commitment clear. Dedication to the infirm, families, youth and the elderly and those in need is a tenet that seems common to many religions. My general impression is that many social services undertaken by the State and Federal government are based on successful faith-driven models. While not believing that access to services should depend on the philanthropy of individuals, I am grateful for the dedication of individuals. That so many groups already are coalesced around beliefs that include important ones I share gives me some reassurance that change is possible.
Karin Friedemann: Do Jewish sensitivities matter at this time?
kylebisme: "most so-called Christians I come across are bigots who couldn't care less what happens to Arabs and/or Jews" Do Jews care about what happens to Christians or Muslims? Do Muslims care about what happens to Christians or Jews? Do "agnostics or secular humanists" Lefties care about what happens to Christians? Obviously not. In fact, in the Soviet Union, the Lefties murdered millions of Christians for their faith and set the process of "scientific based" mass murder in motion. I guess that makes them the biggest bigots of all. The ugly fact of the matter is, despite its righteous posturing, the Left is inherently misanthropic. No wonder the left-liberal "progressive" Democratic Party is where the Israeli lobby has always roosted, has historically been at its strongest, and where 95% of Jewish Zionist Dems reside to this day. Misanthropes love chaos and "permanent revolution." It's in keeping with their arrested development.
It makes sense, then, that the misanthropic Left has historically partnered with misanthropic Jews in a big way, from the Soviet Union to the Democratic Party, which granted the Israel lobby access to the halls of power and is the basis of the current Zionist problem. Yet you Lefties say Christians are bigots and don't care about peace in the Middle East. You're hardly the ones to talk about bigotry and peace. In fact, all you do is talk — out of both sides of your face. But your murderous, misanthropic actions speak for themselves.
To everyone who answered Thank you for your comments. PineyWoodSlim, I think if people start writing and funding organisations like J Street, or any other that actively opposes the Domnionist Christians, and Likudniks, that would be step in the right direction. I think organisations which are both religious and secular need to be made aware that there is an alternative to AIPAC and that is J Street. Maybe organisations like CAIR (muslim) should be vocal about lending support to J Street or maybe do joint ventures? Or even other secular movements, they don't have to be religious Ed, I agree with you that most people who want peace and support the two state solution are secular, that goes for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. However, there is no reason why they can't support a movement like J street. J Street welcomes supporters of all faiths, seculars, atheists etc. even though it was founded by Jews. You don't have to be Jewish to support their goals of a two state solution.
We need Cynthia McKinney back on the Hill. House or Senate. We need more people like her on the Hill. We must not remain inept and simply talk about it. We must do something about it because we are the majority. Let's clean up the Hill in 2010.
Ed: "Do Jews care about what happens to Christians or Muslims? Do Muslims care about what happens to Christians or Jews? Do "agnostics or secular humanists" Lefties care about what happens to Christians? Obviously not." Some do, just as some Christians are concerned with the fate of those outside their flock as I mentioned above. Unfortunately, it seems you are set on deluding yourself into justifying your own tribalism by projecting a competing version of it onto others. Also, I am not a leftist, a misanthrope, or a murderer. and I think the mentality you demonstrate by branding me as such while claiming yourself a Christian speaks for itself. It certainly doesn't jive with the teachings of Jesus I have studied throughout my years.