Antisemitic article from Janet Lahr Lewis draws rebuke from the Methodist Bishop of Iowa

"Antisemitism cannot be used as a political tool. It cannot legitimately be used to advance an argument. "

Statement from the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines June 2, 2015 

Antisemitism draws rebuke from the Methodist Bishop of Iowa

When presented with an example of blatant antisemitism authored by a United Methodist staff member, Iowa United Methodist Bishop Julius C. Trimble responded quickly and authoritatively. As a bridge-builder for peace, the bishop acknowledged and denounced the antisemitism as evidenced.

A keynote speaker at an upcoming program of the Iowa Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action, United Methodist staff member Janet Lahr Lewis recently called for a boycott of Holocaust museums in protest of an alleged Palestinian holocaust by Israel.

In a column posted by Ms. Lewis to The United Methodist’s General Board of Church & Society website, she wrote: “ Don’t visit a Holocaust museum until there is one built to remember the other holocausts in the world: the on-going Palestinian holocaust, the Rwandan, the Native American, the Cambodian, the Armenian…You could be waiting a long time.” Ms. Lewis serves as the Peace and Justice Program Associate at the General Board of Church & Society, and is a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church.

As analyzed by the Jewish Federation, the problems of Ms. Lewis’ statement are as follows:

1. Ms. Lewis implies that it is solely up to the Jews to memorialize the genocides of history – and that the Jews are somehow blocking the memorialization of other genocides. Outside of the fact that Holocaust museums, especially the major ones, do in fact recognize, study, memorialize and call for action against genocides worldwide, the questions arise: Why are the Jews uniquely responsible for this, and how are Jews blocking others from doing so? Singling out Jews in this manner is antisemitism.

2. Contending, as Ms. Lewis does, that Israel is committing genocide or a holocaust against the Palestinian people is not only inaccurate in analogy, but is also defamatory. It is a charge that demonizes Israel by insinuating that the intention of Israel is to annihilate the Palestinian people and casts Israelis as Nazis. Demonizing Israel is antisemitism.

3. Finally, by advocating that Methodists boycott Holocaust museums, Ms. Lewis is targeting Jews and not Israel. When people take out their anger at Israel by targeting Jews in general, that is antisemitism.

When presented with what a staff member was advocating, Bishop Julius C. Trimble issued a message of assurance in response to our concerns. In his letter, which is now available online in order that he not be taken out of context, the bishop reaffirmed that his denomination denounces all acts and expressions of anti-Semitism, along with all forms and expressions of hatred, racism.

The bishop implicitly advised that it is unwise to promote the boycotting of Holocaust museums. “I have visited the Holocaust Museum in Israel and Beachwood, Ohio on several occasions. I have found them to be deeply moving, education and painful experiences. Knowing the history of the Jews, and many others who were killed and their lives before the Holocaust, serves to deepen my own desire for peace.”

Bishop Trimble asserted, quite rightfully, we believe, that “we cannot build bridges between communities by comparing atrocities…but we can denounce hatred, racism and anti-Semitism wherever it surfaces.”

In accordance with his stated guideline, Bishop Trimble then proceeded to note: “Accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people is anti-Semitism; that is wrong, because it is defamatory.”

We thank Bishop Trimble for his forthright evaluation of the hurtful sentiments expressed by Janet Lahr Lewis, and we call upon Ms. Lewis to desist from using such defamatory means to promote her agenda.

We moreover request the Iowa Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action to publicly repudiate their keynote speaker’s use of antisemitism.

Antisemitism cannot be used as a political tool. It cannot legitimately be used to advance an argument. 

Methodist boycott of the Holocaust Museum?

Janet Lahr Lewis’ angry, uninformed and insensitive screed on the Palestinian “nakba” is attracting the wrong sort of attention, apparently, and has been removed from the online weekly newsletter of the Methodist’s  General Board of Church and Society.

Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy in Washington, D.C. and author of Methodism and Politics in the Twentieth Century writes in the American Spectator:

Maybe the Methodist “missionary” and “peace with justice” advocate will explain what she means by “ongoing Palestinian Holocaust” in her next column. Except the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society has evidently deleted her last “holocaust” column, whether from shame or prudence. This Capitol Hill agency routinely demonizes Israel and for years has been trying to persuade its denomination to divest from Israel. But apparently it’s not ready to embrace openly a call to boycott the Holocaust Museum

Removing an absurd and disgusting column without public comment is not sufficient. This agency that represents United Methodism’s political witness to Congress should apologize. Its staff and board members should conduct a group visit to the nearby Holocaust Museum to be reminded why the Nazi murders of the Jews has special ranking in human depravity.

Janet Lahr Lewis's essay had  urged a boycott of Holocaust museums, in light of the "ongoing Palestinian holocaust", writing:

Don’t participate in Holocaust Remembrance Day without participating in Al Nakba Remembrance Day. Don’t visit a Holocaust museum until there is one built to remember the other holocausts in the world: the on-going Palestinian holocaust, the Rwandan, the Native American, the Cambodian, the Armenian… You could be waiting a long time!

With this comment.  "peace activist" Janet Lahr Lewis has placed herself squarely in the company of anti-Semites, Holocaust minimizers and deniers.

Holocaust denial and Holocaust minimization  is Antisemitism

Read Mark Tooley's full article here

UPDATE:

Media Watchdog CAMERA writes about it here, in a post by Dexter van Zile:
Methodist Staffer Demonizes Israel, Reveals Ignorance

Methodist Missionary Janet Lahr Lewis: Bias or Blindness?

Janet Lahr Lewis is a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church serving in the Middle East as liaison between ecumenical groups.

From her biography:

Focusing on advocacy and activism, Janet's responsibilities are numerous. She is the main contact for VIM teams and United Methodist visitors who wish to follow the recommendation of the General Conference to spend a significant amount of time in the area with local Christians, acting to make those connections with UMC partner organizations.

In an essay entitled “Remember al Nakba too” published this week at the United Methodist Website, Janet has written

“Israel has even gone so far as to destroy archaeological artifacts in an effort to wipe out evidence of non-Jewish cultures, except Roman, throughout history in the region.”

This is a grotesque inaccuracy (in an essay full of gross inaccuracies), and is particularly abhorrent in light of Israel’s painstaking and meticulous efforts at protecting and documenting its rich archaeological legacy.

The Archaeological Survey of Israel was established in 1964 with the goal of creating a  comprehensive archaeological study of the land .  It is one of the largest scientific projects ever undertaken in the country and has lead to the creation of an online database which documents over 15,000 archaeological sites.

During the 50th anniversary of the survey

Dr. Ofer Sion, head of the Antiquities Authority Surveys Department, noted the unusual nature of the archeologists’ ongoing work...

“Sometimes the surveyors rappel into ancient caves, or even scuba dive in the sea to gather information,” he said.

“Without the survey we would know nothing about the history of the country.

”Who would know about the famous site at Gamla, the monastic sites, the ancient life in the desert or the hiding refuges and the story of the zealots and rebels in Judean Desert caves?”

Janet is stationed in the region.   Could it be possible that she has never gone to the Israel Museum, or to any of the myriad of archaeological sites in Israel? 

Could it be possible that she has never picked up a National Geographic to read about the tombs of the early Natufians?

Has she never heard about the magnificent bronzes and ivories of Israel’s Chalcolithic Period? 

Hasn’t she picked up a newspaper or read online about the recent discovery of a cache of coins from the period of Alexander the great? 

Janet Lahr Lewis writes:

 Ironically, there apparently is no written set of standards similar to those in engineering, for example, by which archaeologists can be held accountable.

She’s wrong about that, too

Whether the issue with Janet Lahr Lewis of the United Methodist Church is one of bias or blindness, the end result is the same- a hateful, inaccurate and dishonorable screed.