Thursday, December 20, 2007
Vatican Urged to Reject Latin Patriach's "INSIDIOUS CAMPAIGN TO DE-JUDAIZE ISRAEL"
Vatican's chief cleric in Jerusalem says by calling itself a Jewish State, Israel discriminates against non-Jews
Forwarded Email - excerpt from Simon Wiesenthal Center Press Center [enewsletter@wiesenthal.net]
The Simon Wiesenthal Center called on the Vatican to reject remarks made by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Church's chief representative in Israel, where he called for Israel to "discard its identity as a Jewish State" saying
that such a label is discriminatory to its non-Jewish citizens.
Patriarch Michel Sabbah, said in a pre-Christmas press conference, "If there's a state of one religion, other religions are naturally discriminated against....This land cannot be exclusive to anyone." Patriarch Sabbah, who has been a frequent
critic of Israel since he attained this position in 1987, once said of the Israelis, "In the end we will send them away just as we did to the Crusaders."
"Patriarch Sabbah's denial of the State of Israel as a Jewish State is nothing less than a campaign to de-legitimize her and is fodder to the majority of the Arab and Muslim world that their long-held dream of a Middle East without a Jewish
State is still possible," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Wiesenthal Center.
Hier said that Sabbah's latest outburst contradicts both Pope John Paul II's 1987 declaration that, 'The Jews have a right to nationhood as do all other peoples according to international law and the United Nations Declaration of 1947 that called
for an Arab and Jewish State."
"Israel does not need lessons from Patriarch Sabbah on how to treat citizens of other faiths and religions," said Hier. "He would better serve the Christians in the Holy Land by going to Gaza and defending the beleaguered Christian
minority there from Hamas extremists. We call on Pope Benedict to reject Sabbah's demand and all those supporting this insidious campaign to de-Judaize the State of Israel," Rabbi Hier concluded.
Additionally, just yesterday, Adalah, the Arab minority rights center called for a "democratic constitution for a supranational regime in all of historic Palestine," which will ensure that Palestinian refugees can fulfill their right
of return.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, and the
Council of Europe.
September 9, 2007
- Excerpted from an email from Simon Wiesenthall Center
Leo Adler
Director of National Affairs
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies
As we usher in the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, recall the words of Simon Wiesenthal who said, "We should remember that the enemies of the Jewish people do not break for holidays."
In Geneva, Iran was celebrating her appointment by the United Nations Human Rights Council to the planning committee of the 2009 UN World Conference Against Racism. How bizarre that a nation that calls the Holocaust a "myth" and calls
for the destruction of the Jewish state is internationally rewarded and contributes to the agenda of a human rights conference.
This sort of outspoken anti-Semitism is not unusual:
- In Geneva two weeks ago, our Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, was the only Jewish NGO spokesperson to stand up publicly and condemn the UN action.
- Last week, Dr. Samuels was in Brussels at a UN conference on Middle East peace where Israel was compared to apartheid South Africa; where many speakers called for a boycott and participants strategized how to isolate Israel from the international
community; and where British Parliament Member, Clare Short stated that Israel, "undermines the international community's reaction to global warming."
- Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, the head of the Polish Catholic media group Radio Maryja (with listeners numbering in the millions) remarked, "grafting $65 billion from Poland [for reparations]...They [the Jews] will come to you and say, 'Give
me your coat! Take off your trousers! Give me your shoes!"
But, with your help the Simon Wiesenthal Center took immediate
action and:
- Demanded that the Vatican discipline and dismiss Rydzyk, because there can be no place in the Church for a "Goebbels in a collar". As a result of this, 25,000 online activists protested to the President of the Polish Bishops' Conference.
- Last week, Pope John Paul's private secretary for 40 years, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, accused Father Rydzyk of splitting the church and damaging the legacy of the Polish-born Pope. Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz stated, "We cannot ignore
what is happening and await what will come next...we are on the edge of a dangerous crisis -- someone else is trying to set the direction of the faith."
- When the U.S. State Department minimized Germany's role in the murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust on its website, we immediately wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Within two hours, Secretary Rice's office responded
and asked for our help in correcting the website.
This Rosh Hashanah when you dispense charity, Give
to the Simon Wisenthal Center. Together, 365 days a year, we defend the dignity and the rights of the Jewish people.
Wishing you and your families, L'Shana Tova, a healthy and happy New Year,
Rabbi Marvin Hier
Founder and Dean
Simon Wiesenthal Center
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organization with 400,000 members, promoting tolerance and combating antisemitism worldwide.
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