Faith-washing: Friends of Sabeel provides cover for Terror

Friends of Sabeel prove once again that no lie is too outrageous for Israel haters
From the Friends of Sabeel (FOSNA)Facebook page

Except for 2 things.

1. The tunnel was on the Israeli side of the border.

2. The tunnel targeted a kibbutz. Was that the source of "much needed supplies"? Were the Palestinians planning on a shopping spree at the local Super Sol? Why doesn't Sabeel read the actual words of the Palestinians, who don't try and conceal their true motives? 

Islamic Jihad: "The tunnel targeted by the occupation yesterday was to be used to abduct soldiers for the liberation of the prisoners"

Why is FOSNA providing cover for terrorists?

Sabeel : Just Anti-Semitism

 The  Sabeel conference is coming to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sabeel  demonizes Israel using offensive Holocaust imagery  and spurious theological arguments and is a driving force behind the campaign to pressure mainline churches to divest from Israel.

FOSNA Philosophy Just Anti-Semitism was written by Sam Sokolove / Executive Director, Jewish Federation of New Mexico and Todd Goldblum / Chair, Israel Action Network, New Mexico

 As the Sept. 15 Albuquerque Journal article detailed, Friends of Sabeel in North America will be holding a “Justice & Peace in Palestine and Israel” conference in Albuquerque later this month. What the article failed to convey, however, is that while Sabeel hides behind a language of peace and reconciliation, FOSNA – listed by the Anti-Defamation League as one of “The Top Ten Anti-Israel Groups in America” – actively promotes a rejection of Israel as a Jewish state.

An integral part of the global anti-Israel Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement, Sabeel promotes the idea that Zionism is based on a false reading of the Bible and that it stands for injustice and in opposition to God.

 In addition, Sabeel often compares the Palestinians to the crucified Jesus, and Israel to his murderers, alluding to the ugly deicide charge against all the Jewish people. Examples include referring to Israeli actions with deicide language such as “The Israeli government crucifixion system is operating daily” or “Israel has placed a large boulder, similar to the stone placed on the entrance of Jesus’ tomb. This boulder has shut in the Palestinians.”

 Sabeel conferences are notorious for featuring speakers who vilify Israel and routinely lift the voices of anti-Zionist Jews as a means to disingenuously suggest that they bring Christians, Jews and Muslims to the table. They continually reject almost all mainstream Jewish voices, including progressive or dovish Zionists.

When the Jewish Federation of New Mexico and Jewish clergy first became aware of the FOSNA conference last summer, we also learned that friends in the interfaith community had been approached to serve as conference sponsors. Given the positive history of interfaith relations between Christians and Jews in Albuquerque, it was our responsibility to offer a mainstream Jewish perspective on this conference.

 As a result, it was heartening to garner the support of friends like the New Mexico Conference of Churches and Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. John who distanced themselves from FOSNA in demonstration of sensitivity to Jewish community concerns and civic discourse.

Characterizing these conversations as “bullying” and “harassment” is profoundly incorrect, but an expected part of the BDS campaign. We are confident that other church representatives who have lent their endorsement to the Sabeel conference will come to recognize the one-sided, inflammatory and destructive nature of the movement.

To be sure, the Jewish community of New Mexico is in no way monolithic, and many of us often vocally criticize the policies of Israel’s government. However, the overwhelming majority of Jews in New Mexico and around the globe recognize Israel as a miraculous return of our homeland after a 3,500-year exile, and a vibrant, if young and imperfect, democracy for people of all religions within a region surrounded by intolerance and brutal dictatorships that conspicuously escape Sabeel and BDS scorn.

 The conflict in the Middle East is about finding a peaceful path to establish two states for two peoples, not about preventing a group from exercising its right to self-determination.

There are appropriate and meaningful forums for interfaith discussion on all issues pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that engender dialogue and increased understanding. Sadly, Sabeel’s commitment is not to promoting this goodwill, but instead to spreading vicious propaganda to assault Israel’s legitimacy

Sabeel, and FOSNA (Friends of Sabeel North America) wrap their old fashioned anti-Semitism in the feel good rhetoric of " peace ".  To those of you in Albuquerque and  elsewhere- if you believe our best hope for peace are two states living side by side, then keep your distance from this extremist organization

Iranian pastor sentenced to death. Sacramento Sabeel remains silent

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, languishes on death row in Iran. A 2010 brief from the Iranian Supreme court stated that his sentence was based on the crime of apostasy, renouncing the Islamic faith. Pastor Nadarkhani, a member of the Protestant evangelical Church of Iran has been offered leniency if he agrees to renounce his Christian beliefs. He has refused.

From the Jpost

"...Giulio Meotti, an Italian journalist with Il Foglio and author of the book A New Shoah, wrote “After the ethnic cleansing of Jews in 1948 from the Arab countries, Islamic fundamentalism is now trying to push away the Christians from the region. They want to establish a pure Islamic environment and the mass exodus already began under our noses.”

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Christian Post wrote last week on its website, “The Christian community in Syria has been hit by a series of kidnappings and brutal murders; 100 Christians have now been killed since the anti-government unrest began."

From Dr. Richard Landes, an associate professor of history and director and cofounder of the Center of Millennial Studies at Boston University:

"There’s a bizarre, eery, indeed terrible (a-)symmetry between the nearly hysterical concern of the media and the ‘progressive’ NGOs etc. about Israeli violations of the Palestinian ‘human rights’ and the nearly total silence about the horrendous things happening to Christians in Muslim majority countries, not necessarily at the hands of their neighbors but of Salafists, Jihadis, etc.”

Indeed there is.

Sacramento Sabeel Conference workshop and Plenary topics

• Palestine-Israel: History and current developments including Arab Spring.
• Children & Youth in Palestine & Israel: Living under occupation and apartheid.
• Christian Zionists to Mainstream Christians: Their role in maintaining support for Israel despite its human rights violations.
• Kairos Palestine: Reflecting on and applying this document written by Christian Palestinians about what is happening in Palestine.
• Islamophobia: What it is and what is behind it.
• Black Perspectives on Apartheid in Palestine: Connecting Palestine to other social justice & peace issues.
• Bias in the Corporate & Independent Media: How it works and how to overcome it.
• Congress/U.S. Administration: Understanding America’s Pro-Israel Lobby (AIPAC) and other influences on U.S. policies towards Israel
and strategies for changing those policies.
• Boycott & Divestment: Using this historic strategy on campuses, in the faith community, and in the community at large.
• Direct Action: How and when to do it (and have fun!).
• Public Advertising Campaigns: How, when, and where they can be effective.
• Communicating about Palestine: How to talk about the issue (including doing presentations).
• Organized Silencing: Understanding the structure, funding and strategies of those who attempt to silence any criticism of Israel’s policies.
• The Palestine Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) Campaign: What is it and how to participate.
• Addressing False Charges of Anti-Semitism.

The Sacramento Sabeel Conference "organizes silence" and consistently ignores the injustice and persecution of Christians in the Middle east. Clifford D. May describes the war against the Christians as "The most important story not being told ". In spite of their mission of pursuing "peace and justice", its not being told by Sabeel, either.

Dr. Martin Luther King jr once said "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." Shame on you, Sabeel for your collusion in "organizing silence".