ADL: Methodists = anti-Semitic for Israel divestment call...

[J @ M @ L]

Methodists 'bordering anti-Semitism'

ADL Director slams American Christian group for Israel divestment call

Yaakov Lappin Published: 06.27.07, 16:37 / Israel Jewish Scene

The United Methodist Church's call to divest from companies linked to Israel "is bordering on anti-Semitism," Anti-Defamation League Director Abraham Foxman told Ynetnews on Wednesday.

Foxman furiously condemned recommendations made by the New England branch of the Methodist Church for its members to divest "from twenty companies identified as supporting the Israeli occupation in Palestine."

The recommendations were made by a "task force" of clergy and church members set up to implement a "resolution to end the Israeli occupation," a statement by the Church added.

Foxman, who is currently in Israel, said it was "sad that a religious institution whose job should be to reconcile continues to be biased and bigoted."

He added that in the past two years, "there has been a war perpetrated by Hizbullah, katyushas rockets, and terrorist acts. Now Hamas, that does not recognize Israel's right to exist and perpetrated violence, has gotten itself elected, and is in control of a million and a half Palestinians. And the Methodists are still there to teach Israel a lesson."

"My reaction is one of outrage to this biased decision, which borders on anti-Semitism. The facts show that any decent fair-minded, spiritual, godly person would not come to a conclusion to boycott the victim, the one that has been praying for peace, suing for peace, hoping for peace. To make Israel the target is just outrageous," Foxman added.

In the Church's statement, William P. Aldrich, chairperson of the 'Divestment Task Force,' was quoted as saying: "Selective divestment is consistent with the United Methodist commitment to a just and sustainable peace for all the people of the Middle East." He added that the divestment campaign "offers a tangible way of working toward this goal."

In its press release, the Church said it knew its actions would not have an impact on Israel's economy, adding that "this is not the goal."

"The goal is to make all United Methodists and other Americans aware of their relationship to companies that benefit from the Israeli occupation," the statement added.

"The urgency of the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories cannot be overstated," the United Methodist Church declared on its website.

Church ackowledges bias

In a separate development, the ADL has welcomed the United Church of Christ's (UCC) acknowledgment that it has advocated an unbalanced and one-sided policy against the state of Israel.

The UCC passed a new resolution this week calling for a more balanced approach to the Middle East conflict.

"We are heartened that members of the United Church of Christ have come to recognize that Israel deserves a fair hearing and that some of their policy declarations in the past were based on unfair and biased assumptions," Foxman said.

"It is a welcome development, and the start of a healthy process toward a better understanding of a very complex and complicated history," he added.

[I TO DA GEEZY]

Typical ADL

[virtuoso]

The ADL are scum, I swear they think they are superior human beings to everyone else. In other words I don't believe they are simply on a power trip, I believe they view others as sub human.

[I TO DA GEEZY]

Well, you know, I think we need to be clear as to what we can, or can not, substantiate. To explain their behaviour in terms of

ideology, even such an ostensibly suitable one as ethnic supremacism, is impossible unless we leave enough place for doubt and other

motives. I think it's more plausible to link this kind of b.s to institutional facets such as the pursuit of power and prestige. For example

Norman Finkelstein, who dealt with all these organizations extensively,  supports this thesis by comparative view of the

Jewish organizations in the U.S in the period before the 6 day war, when Israel was a very minor issue among them and when it was

more fashionable among mainstream u.s intellectuals to downplay the holocaust because of u.s ties to the ex-nazi administrative elite of

western germany.

[King Tech Quadafi]

i geezy im still waiting on an apology or acknowledgement

ill write the first sentence for u

"King Tech, I wish I had listened to you earlier....."

[I TO DA GEEZY]

The things I posted lately should've made it obvious by now...Jamal got it, Virtuoso got it, others got it, but not Tech. Since you feel the need to make it personal: I'm sorry Tech, you're right I was wrong. I have to thank King Tech and Noam Chomsky for my enlightenment. Add it to your sig now.

[virtuoso]

I know and appreciate that you like to give individuals the benefit of the doubt and on an individual level, perhaps individually the people serving the ADL are good people. However with that being said they have been indoctrinated with a group think, which is just the antihesis of everything which I have ever understood and appreciated about what it is to be free. As a collective group they are assigned with crushing any opinions which differ from the prescribed notions which they see fit to be aired. In other words, they freely and maybe unconsciously violate one of the basic tenets of freedom and that is freedom of expression and freedom of speech. I think they live in the model of humanity where they have a right to impose a soft dictatorship which governens how people can act. Collectively as a group they are acting as the controllers of thought and have therefore (perhaps) unintentionally put themselves on the mantle as superior human beings. Either way you look at it, what they stand for and are readily encouraged to pursue is just totally unacceptable to anyone who values their ability to express themselves.

[I TO DA GEEZY]

There's no disagreement between us as to the fact of these people being crooks. I don't question the possibility that they might be driven by ideological motives because I sympathize with them or because I have delusions as to their decency.The contrary is true, I'm questioning these motives for two reasons: 1. Lack of empirical proof to support it (As I said in an earlier post there is evidence to support the opposite thesis) 2.Ideological motives would imply a degree of candour and honesty, I can't see how such virtues apply to these people.