Zionism Unsettled: Good links that stand for righteousness and truth-Update

I recently posted a review of the Israel/Palestine Mission Network’s new publication Zionism Unsettled. Now, while radical sites and groups are busy pushing the IPNM’s publication, several well-known and excellent organizations, both Presbyterian and Jewish, have published reviews and statements about the publication which detail Zionism Unsettled’s many problems.

Presbyterians for Middle East Peace published a Press Release, “A Call for Justice and Tolerance in Israel and Palestine.”  The second paragraph explains their basic concern:

Recently the PC (USA) on-line “church store” began distributing a “congregational study guide” of a forthcoming publication titled “Zionism Unsettled.” The “study guide” was compiled by the Israel-Palestine Mission Network (IPMN), an advocacy group describing itself as an organization that “speaks to the Church, not for the Church.”  We take no issue with this group, or anyone else, expressing their opinions and exercising their rights of free speech.  Our concern, however, is that this material will be seen and is already being seen by much of the outside world as an official document of the Presbyterian Church (USA)  As a case in point, a recent article about this material appeared on the website Electronic Intifada entitled “Zionism is a ’false theology,’ says new Presbyterian study guide.”

And in fact, the vile anti-Semitic site Veterans News Now has also posted the same article with a different title: “Zionism Unsettled: New Presbyterian study guide Ends Silence about Zionism”

The Simon Wiesenthal Center has also put out a press release, Wiesenthal Center: US Presbyterians’ “Zionism Unsettled” -Theological Twin Of UN’s Infamous ‘Zionism is Racism’ Resolution.” Their protest cuts to the heart of the matter, with this publication the Israel/Palestine Mission Network has totally demonized Israel and the Jews. Quoting Rabbi Abraham Cooper the Press Release states:

“Zionism Unsettled is a hit-piece outside all norms of interfaith dialogue. It is a compendium of distortions, ignorance and outright lies – that tragically has emanated too often from elites within this church”

The Wiesenthal Center calls on Christians to stand against this awful publication:

It will take Christian voices to offer the antidote to the poison served up by other Christians. [i]And if this book reflects the feelings of the PCUSA, the Simon Wiesenthal Center will divest all contacts from this institution and call on other Jewish organizations to do them same.

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein of the Center has put the problem squarely where it belongs:

Such attacks describing our core belief as ‘rooted’ in ‘intolerable human rights abuses’ reveals there is nothing left to talk about with such religious bigots.

The Press Release must be read by all PC (U.S.A.) members to understand the grievous place we all are in because of the IPMN.

The AJC Global Jewish Action also has an article, “AJC: Presbyterian Church (USA) Study Guide on Zionism Distorts History, Undermines Peace Process” In their article, they state:

This study guide, billed by the church as an educational resource, was produced by the Israel Palestine Mission Network (IPMN), one of the church’s educational arms. “It is a devastating distortion of Jewish and Israeli history, aimed at nothing less than eradicating the State of Israel,” said Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC’s Director of Intergroup and Interreligious Relations.

All Presbyterians, but especially those going as commissioners to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), this coming June, need to read these Press Releases and articles to understand that with the booklet Zionism Unsettled our denomination has reached a trembling point-a historical point—we will either become a vile anti-Semitic denomination or we will stand against a rising tide of universal bigotry and hate against the Jewish people.

Update: Another excellent and very informative statement on Zionism Unsettled has just been published by The Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies. Written by Reverend Chris Leighton, Executive Director of the Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies and a Presbyterian pastor, "An Open Letter to the Presbyterian Church," is extremely important. This is but one small quote from a letter filled with truth and compassion:

"To suggest that the Jewish yearning for their own homeland—a yearning that we Presbyterians have supported for numerous other nations—is somehow theologically and morally abhorrent is to deny Jews their own identity as a people. The word for that is “anti-Semitism,” and that is, along with racism, sexism, homophobia, and all the other ills our Church condemns, a sin."

 

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[i] I don’t believe that those members of IPMN who allowed and agreed with this document’s statements that Jesus is not the complete revelation of God can be called Christians.