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Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East = Strongly=20 Criticizes Rabbinical Ruling in Israel

NEW YORK, Dec. 13,=20 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East strongly criticizes a recent = ruling issued=20 by dozens of Israeli Orthodox rabbis against selling or renting = property=20 to non-Jews and praises the Israeli government for joining in that=20 criticism.

"In a moment in history when we are all hoping that peace is finally = coming=20 to the Israelis and Palestinians, this sort of racist commentary is most = unfortunate," according to Msgr. Dennis L.=20 Mikulanis, STD, Vicar for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs = for the=20 Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and = Fair=20 Witness Executive Committee member.

"We were therefore deeply heartened by the immediate and overwhelming = outcry=20 from so many sectors of Israeli society," said Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor = of Religion=20 at Bard College, also a member of the = Executive=20 Committee of Fair Witness. "Not only the expected Israeli civil = rights=20 groups are outraged. PM Benjamin Netanyahu himself blasted = the=20 ruling, making it clear that it was inconsistent with democratic values = and=20 contrary to Israeli policy. Israeli Minority Affairs Minister = Avishay Braverman called on the attorney = general to=20 launch an investigation into incitement to racism and the attorney = general's=20 office is indeed looking into possible criminal charges. Other = rabbis=20 have joined in the protest. The President of Tzohar, an organization of = Orthodox=20 rabbis in Israel, made clear that = discrimination=20 had no place in the Jewish state. Rabbi Yosef = Shalom=20 Elyashiv, the top rabbinic authority for many ultra-Orthodox = Jews, also=20 weighed in against it."

"Thankfully this rabbinic ruling is not the law in Israel, and we would like to believe that its = disturbing intolerance is not reflective even of the wider ultra = Orthodox=20 community," said Rev. Dr. Peter A. = Pettit, Director=20 of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College and Fair Witness member. = "We are=20 equally mindful of the fact that a combination of laws in the = Palestinian legal=20 system make it unlawful to sell property to Jews, with a possible = penalty of=20 death for violations. Particularly at this point in history, both = Israeli=20 and Palestinian political leaders must take strong and courageous steps = to=20 lessen the level of fear generated by any such expressions of racism or=20 intolerance among their people."

SOURCE Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle=20 East

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