Comment: the Church of Englnad has decided to sell its shares in, among
other firms, Caterpillar. Caterpillar, however, did not sell
earth-moving equipment to the Israeli government -- the U.S. Army did.
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Chief Rabbi attacks Church of England for its Israel protest
By Ian Herbert
Published: 17 February 2006
The Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks, has delivered an
uncharacteristically stinging attack on the Church of England over its
decision to disinvest in companies profiting from the occupation of
Palestinian land.
Writing for today's Jewish Chronicle, Sir Jonathan describes as
"ill-judged" the General Synod's decision last week to back
disinvestment from a US company that makes giant bulldozers used by the
Israeli army to demolish Palestinian homes. The timing of the vote
could "not have been more inappropriate", he said.
"For years, I have called on religious groups in Britain to send a
message of friendship and co-existence to conflict zones throughout the
world, instead of importing those conflicts into Britain itself," Sir
Jonathan writes.
"The effect of the Synod vote will be the opposite. The Church has
chosen to take a stand on the politics of the Middle East over which it
has no influence, knowing that it will have the most adverse
repercussions on a situation over which it has enormous influence,
namely Jewish-Christian relations in Britain." The policy, he adds,
will "reduce the Church's ability to act as a force for peace between
Israel and the Palestinians".
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has faced a torrent of
criticism from Anglicans and Jews alike over his backing for
disinvestment. His predecessor as Archbishop, George Carey, described
the Synod's decision as a "one-eyed strategy to rebuke one side and
forget the traumas of ordinary Israelis who live in fear of suicide
bombers and those whose policy it is to destroy all Jews". Canon Andrew
White, the Church's chief negotiator in the Middle East, described the
motion as "more sanctimonious claptrap", which made him despair of the
Church.
Dr Williams sought to dampen the row in a carefully crafted letter to
Sir Jonathan late last week saying the Synod had not intended to create
a policy of disinvestment, but merely to express "disquiet". He said:
"It is unfortunate that this has arisen at a time when anti-Semitism is
a growing menace and when the state of Israel faces challenges."
In a letter to Lambeth Palace on Monday, Sir Jonathan thanked Dr
Williams for the clarification. His emollient tone was typical of a man
who shies away from public wars. But the Chief Rabbi's strength of
feeling is evidently far greater than he revealed to Dr Williams, with
whom he has a good relationship.
"The Church could have chosen, instead of penalising Israel, to invest
in the Palestinian economy," he writes. "That would have helped the
Palestinians. It would have had the support of most Israelis and most
Jews. If there was one candle of hope above all others after the
Holocaust it was that Jews and Christians at last learned to speak to
one another after some 17 centuries of hostility... We must not let
that candle be extinguished."
Israel had risked civil war to make unilateral territorial concessions
in Gaza and faced threats from two enemies, Iran and Hamas, vowing to
eliminate it, he said. "It needs support, not vilification."
At a meeting convened on Tuesday by Sir Jonathan, Jewish leaders
started formulating a response to the General Synod's decision. The
Jewish Board of Deputies is also undertaking an investigation into
attitudes within the Church of England. Jewish Chronicle managing
editor Jeff Barak said the Church of England, and Dr Williams in
particular, deserved no less than a "severe tongue-lashing".
Lambeth Palace said yesterday that Sir Jonathan's comments were
directed at the Church of England, not Dr Williams. Dr Williams was en
route to Brazil and unable to respond.
The war of words
'The Church's policy will have adverse repercussions for
Jewish-Christian relations... it will reduce its ability to act as a
force for peace between Israel and Palestine'
Sir Jonathan Sachs, Chief Rabbi
'It is unfortunate that this has arisen at a time when anti-Semitism is
a growing menace and when the state of Israel faces challenges'
Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article345929.ece
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