FAIR WITNESS CHALLENGES AMERICA MAGAZINE

Contact:
Sr.Ruth Lautt, O.P., Esq.
(516) 870-0335 Ext. 3

(Jericho, New York) June 7, 2006 -- Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East deplores an article in this week's edition of America Magazine, in which Drew Christiansen, S.J. offers his support for the anti-Israel divestment movement in some of the Protestant churches.  Fr. Christiansen allies himself with the least responsible and least informed voices in American Protestantism, while failing to offer any real encouragement to serious ecumenical work in the interests of peace.

"While we share his concern for the plight of Palestinians in the region, Father Christiansen's resort to protesting only Israel's policies - while making no mention of Palestinian terrorism, the 58-year history of Arab aggression that led to the 'occupation,' or Israel's repeated attempts to return the territories in exchange for peace - is clearly unbalanced and backward," says Sr. Ruth Lautt.

Rachel Corrie, whom he refers to as a "peace activist" joined the International Solidarity Movement, a radical group that openly supports terrorist organizations.  The evidence indicated that she died when she was trying to block an Israeli bulldozer and had put herself in a position where the driver could not see her.  She was apparently accidently dragged under the machine.  We question why Fr. Christiansen's article suggests that the Israelis deliberately killed her.

Although in any case, Israel ceased its practice of home demolitions last summer, it was designed as a last resort tactic (after thousands of Israeli civilians were killed and maimed in terror attacks), to deter (not punish) terrorists, and was undertaken in a manner designed not to unnecessarily affect innocents.  Whatever one thinks of the tactic, to pretend it is a current event in order to influence the deliberations of Christians is disingenuous.

According to Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, "At a time when the language of anti-Semitism throughout the world grows more violent, it does not suffice for Fr. Christiansen to say that anti-Semites should 'apologize' for their hate-speech. He blinks in the face of sin, and effectively encourages hatred."  

Given the almost 2,000-year history of Christian anti-Semitism, when Christians craft policies like divestment that single out the Jewish State for condemnation, we must be wary.  Fr. Christiansen's unbalanced perspective on this conflict confirms that that wariness may indeed be justified.