"Increasingly violent attacks are being reported on civilians in Israel; whether the victims are men, women or babies is of no concern to the killers". I wondered what comment was being made by the Church of Scotland on this burgeoning tragedy.
In the latest edition of the WM magazine, I was disappointed but hardly surprised to observe the Church’s persistence in simply false, or at best misleading ,accusations against Israel. In particular, on page 5 there is the allegation that; “It will come as a shock, but Christians in Gaza have not been permitted to visit holy sites in Bethlehem and Jerusalem since 2007”.
This had the appearance to me of deliberate obfuscation or just ignorance, especially when I knew that, had the author of the article and/or the editor made a routine check before publication, the true facts would have been readily found.
I would refer you to the website of the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories):
http://www.cogat.idf.il/1043-11473-EN/Cogat.aspx
Here you will note, reported on December 22, 2013:
“During the holiday season the IDF will facilitate the visit of an unlimited number of Christian Palestinians from Judea and Samaria to Israel. Also, at the request of the Palestinian Authority, Israel will authorize 200 special holiday permits for Palestinians who reside abroad, to visit Judea and Samaria. Approximately 500 Palestinian Christians from Gaza, under the age of 16 and above 35, will be eligible to visit Israel and Judea and Samaria in order to enjoy and participate in the holiday festivities”.
I could further direct them to an Australian News Agency report of April 2014:
http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/jews-pray-at-jerusalems-old-city-after-clashes-at-alaqsa-mosque/story-fnh81ifq-1226888551619
It states :
“The Jewish state had given 17,000 West Bank Christians entry permits into Israel and east Jerusalem for Easter events” and that “500 Palestinian Christians from Gaza were also given entry permits into Israel and the West Bank for Easter”.
If these reports are known by them to be disingenuous, I trust they will advise accordingly in the magazine.
Genuine criticism of Israeli Government actions is fair comment but false accusations, whether deliberate or ignorant, do not enhance the reputation of the Church of Scotland. In the current climate, they could indeed inflame anti-Jewish rhetoric. I am asking the Church of Scotland to use their influence with WM magazine to have these allegations prominently corrected in the next
edition.
Renaud Sarda
Scottish Friends of Israel
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