Does the Catholic Church ‘demonize’ Israel? [YNet]
Has the Catholic Church drawn a line between Judaism and Zionist thinkers, to the detriment of the current discourse over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? In this piece from YNet, Giulio Meotti argues that the Church is embracing a dangerous notion of anti-Zionism. Could this temper further Jewish/Catholic interreligious dialogue? Meotti writes:
“Meanwhile, Catholic and Muslim dignitaries met in Beit Sahour for a conference on ‘How to live together in a future Palestinian state.’ Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, and Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, attended the event organized by Al-Liqa, a Vatican ecumenical center. Sabbah signed a document condemning Zionism as ‘racial exclusivity’ and ‘the ideology of empire and colonialism.'”
Israeli airport security & political correctness [+972 Magazine]
In this piece from +972, Mairav Zonszein responds to an article in The Atlantic from Jeffrey Goldberg, which suggests that Israeli airport security, in an effort to speed up the processing of travelers, should just cut to the chase and ask travelers the Big Question: “Are you Jewish?” Zonszein has a few qualms with this assertion:
“He reasons that its fine to just ask someone straight out because there is no room for ‘political correctness’ at the airport anyway. Apparently Goldberg hasn’t read my colleague Aziz’s post on the regular harassment he has experienced at the airport as a regular traveler for work – or this one either. Goldberg’s boasting of just how much less humiliating the Israeli airport security experience is compared to America’s – because there are ‘no TSA-naked-scanning machines to be found’ – completely ignores the routine humiliation that Palestinians must go through. Furthermore, is Goldberg implying that all security needs to know is whether a traveler is a Jew because a Jew could never pose a threat to airport security?”
CIA & Mossad: “Iran doesn’t have nukes…? Maybe…?” [Haaretz]
In the continued discourse over how Israel will move forward in its address of tensions with Iran, Haaretz cites a report from the New York Times positing that Israel and America’s intelligence offices agree: conclusive proof of any nuclear devices in Iran (whether completed or “under construction”) is unavailable at this time. Haaretz explains:
“The newspaper said that senior American officials believe there is little disagreement between the Mossad and U.S. intelligence agencies over Iran’s nuclear program, despite the fact that Israeli political leaders have been pushing for quick action to block Iran from becoming what they describe as an existential threat.
The report further quoted one former senior American intelligence official who states that the Mossad ‘does not disagree with the U.S. on the weapons program,’ adding that there is ‘not a lot of dispute between the U.S. and Israeli intelligence communities on the facts.'”
Sudan embassy rally leads to arrests of Jewish leaders [Forward]
In a recent protest outside the Embassy of Sudan over a current blockade into the country by Sudanese leadership, Jewish leaders were among protesters arrested: a group which also included George Clooney (yes, that George Clooney), various state representatives, and the president of the NAACP. The Jewish Daily Forward reports:
“Rabbi Steve Gutow, the president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs umbrella body, Rabbi David Saperstein, the director of the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center and Fred Kramer, who directs Jewish World Watch were among those arrested Friday.
(…)
During his remarks at the rally, Gutow highlighted the importance of speaking out against Bashir’s actions.
‘The inhumane cruelty of Omar al-Bashir’s war crimes is too much for us to abide in silence. With one hand he assaults his own people while with the other he holds back those who would seek to help. I am compelled by God, by my commitment to justice, and by my humanity to speak out,’ Gutow said in a press release detailing his remarks.”
