Christians and Jews
As rabbis representing congregations across denominations, we have spent years engaged in interfaith partnerships to strengthen civil discourse in Canada. We are saddened that the 42nd General Council of the United Church of Canada (UCC) has again taken steps that cause grievous damage to Jewish-Christian relations (“United Church strengthens call to end Israeli occupation”).
The General Council fails to see that boycott and divestment measures against Israelis do nothing to advance peace and support the legitimate aspirations of both sides. Coexistence, reconciliation, and economic co-operation are the building blocks of peace. In contrast, boycotts destroy Israeli-Palestinian partnerships, undermine goodwill, and encourage hardliners.
Boycott and divestment tactics ignore the terrible suffering of Israelis caused by Hamas, Hezbollah, and missile attacks against Israel, which are not mentioned even once in the General Council’s workbook or resolutions. Moreover, they do nothing to address the real suffering and challenges experienced by Palestinians, particularly the more than 70,000 Palestinians who work in Israel or for Israeli employers in the West Bank every day, and who are no less victims of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS).
A boycott movement targeting the State of Israel implies that resolving the very complex Israeli-Palestinian dispute is the sole responsibility of but one party. No objective or rational reading of the situation could possibly result in that conclusion. Boycotts against Israel have been historically used as a tool of conflict by Middle Eastern states that sought Israel’s destruction long before 1967.
The General Council’s 2012 boycott campaign gave the organized Jewish community no choice but to sever ties with the United Church. Last month’s General Council decision ensures that relations remain ruptured and, for now, irreparable. We will continue to strengthen relations with United Church congregations and ministers who share our profound disappointment with the General Council’s policy.
The General Council is shamefully blind to the dishonesty and hypocrisy of the BDS movement, as well as the fact that BDS is exclusively and extremely anti-Israel. It cannot be overlooked that no other country in the region is being boycotted by the United Church. Many in our community view the current boycott as a modern manifestation of the world’s “oldest hatred,” in light of the long history of anti-Judaism by Christian authorities. By associating itself with this unjust ideology, the United Church loses all credibility with Israelis and the Jewish community.
The Canadian Rabbinic Caucus Co-Chairs,
Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl, Toronto;
Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, Vancouver;
Rabbi Reuben Poupko, Montreal
Michael Coren’s article was at once welcome and frustrating (“What do Christians really think about Jews and Israel?”).
It is certainly comforting to read that most leaders of the various branches of Christianity do not harbour hatred for Jews and/or Israel. However, that may be small comfort to the Jewish man-in-the-street whose circle of acquaintances may not include those who occupy leadership positions in the Christian religions and who evidently are within Coren’s circle.
The Jewish man-in-the-street may also be exposed to alarmingly frequent news about rising levels of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment, often instigated by various Christian groups, some of whom persist in supporting Israel boycotts.
Is it the case that the leaders of the various Christian churches have somehow not managed to imbue a critical mass of their congregations with their noble views? From my perspective, and that of many in my circle, anti-Semitism is alive and well.
David Green
Thornhill, Ont.
Who is a Jew?
Rabbi Dow Marmur has dropped his opposition to the Reform movement’s decision to recognize children born to a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother as Jewish because he is “concerned about the future of the Jewish People” (“Patrilineal descent- an affront or an opportunity?”).
These same children will have a very difficult time getting married Jewishly in the future, when they discover that unless they convert, they can only marry another Reform Jew. It would be much fairer to future generations to adhere to the only universally accepted definition of a Jew: someone born to a Jewish mother.
Ezra Franken
Montreal