Zionism Unsettled, Gordon Duff & the Israel/Palestine Mission Network

Gordon Duff, chairman of Veterans Today and a writer for the Republic of Iran’s Press TV, is taking a stab at writing about the Israel/Palestine Mission Network’s Zionism Unsettled. I say stab because Duff too often, in the midst of his extreme anti-Semitism, gets everything and everyone confused. For instance in his posting, Self-Hate and Militant Exceptionalism,” Duff equates the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with conservatism and the Tea Party. With his introduction he writes, “This week, the Presbyterian Church, a conservative mainstream religious group began distributing a study guide, “Zionism Unsettled.”   Speaking of the source of the booklet he writes:

A broader implication is taken from the source of this unique and powerful critique of Zionism, a group neither activist nor “leftist” but largely conservative, Southern based, with heavy membership within the Tea Party, the political group that recently broke with the Israel lobby.

I have to admit that this is funny and it made me laugh. But it is also serious—serious enough to cry over. Here is why. This man, Duff, who seems to live in a foggy world of hate and confusion, has links to the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). James Wall who has written, on the IPMN’s site, a glowing affirmation of Zionism Unsettled and whose blog, Wall Writings,  IPMN often links to, is editor and writer at Veterans News Now, the sister side of VT.  

Wall, at one time, upset that I, and another blogger, had pointed out his vile use of Veterans Today, wrote:

The website Veterans Today is not a “sludge-bucket”. It is a progressive website that sees injustice and calls it for what it is, which explains why these days, I find myself more at home with my new friends at Veterans Today and My Catbird Seat than with any Presbyterian blogger who has failed to realize that the Israeli occupation is a moral evil which must be ended. Perhaps this is a new ecumenism of the faithful.

 At least two IPMN members, Noushin Framke and Nahida Halaby Gordon, perhaps naïvely, while commenting, backed Wall on his affirmation of VT.

 IPMN, among the many members it follows on Twitter, follows several writers who write for Veterans Today; they also follow sites which are either partners of VT or often use their writers. For instance one site, both IPMN, and steering committee member, Noushin Framke, follow is Window into Palestine. Looking for articles on Zionism Unsettled I found this at Window into Palestine, “Time to Kill Zionist Vampire.”  It is by Jim W. Dean, Veterans Today’s managing editor and writer with Press TV. He began his article with this:

 It’s that time of the year again – Vampire season Americans are finally starting to wake up to the stark reality. The Israeli regime must be erased from the sands of time. If the US really wants peace and security it is time to throw away what is left of the NecCon’s mini-World War they had engaged in after 911 and concentrate on one threat…Israel. But this will not be easy. Like cancer can start in one place and then spread itself throughout the body to overwhelm its defenses, Israeli espionage has used a similar tact. Poisonous spider bites work similarly.

Dean had something to do with a concert in Atlanta, Georgia, with Gilad Atzmon a saxophonist who also writes for VT. The concert, held at Villa International, was sponsored, according to Dean and Atzmon, by Veterans Today and Joining Hands for Justice which at one time was part of the mission networks of the PC (U.S.A) and still, sometimes, works with IPMN. The concert was not well received and no one who sponsored it would come forth with the facts of who made the connection between VT and the Presbyterians involved. In the middle of a rambling article by Duff, Dean placed this information:

 Gilad was sponsored in Atlanta Saturday night by Veterans Today and the Greater Atlanta Presbyterians. I will be posting some video highlights when I can.

We had a very mixed crowd, Christians, Jews, Muslims, young and old. The Wandering Who books were gone before I got mine. I will know better next time. If you ever get a chance to see him, you are in for a treat...Jim W. Dean][1]

The videos were never forthcoming probably at the request of the Presbyterians involved.

It may be that IPMN and Framke only follow Window into Palestine because at the bottom of their page they list several supposed Palestinian news sites. But the truth is even among these VT has invaded the news. For example Intifada Voice of Palestine listed among the sites is a Veterans Today site with many of their writers listed there. And IPMN has linked to IVP in the past.

The problem is the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), while having some moderate information sites, indulge themselves with weird, hate filled, conspiracy addicts. The influence of that kind of weirdness strains the whole denomination. There can never be a true formula for peace, coming out of the PCUSA & their GA mandated mission network, Israel/Palestine Mission Network, as long as lunatics flutter on the edge. This is one of the reasons we have offered the world such a horrific booklet as Zionism Unsettled.

 

 

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[1] To read more about this go to Presbyterian 'Joining Hands for Justice in Israel & Palestine' & Veterans Today join hands! And “Veterans Today & Joining Hands for Justice of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta-Update.”http://naminghisgrace.blogspot.com/2012/03/veterans-today-joining-hands-for.html