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Methodist Report Criticized By Anti-Defamation League

By E.B. SOLOMONT, Staff Reporter of the Sun | February 20, 2008

A report on Israel produced by the United Methodist Church is "distorted and mendacious," the Anti-Defamation League has charged.

The 225-page report, "Israel-Palestine: A 2007–2008 Mission Study," likens Jews to "monsters" and compares the actions of Israelis to Nazis, the group said. The group also criticized the report for using the word "terrorism" to describe Israeli actions, while the actions of Palestinian Arabs are described as "activism."

In a statement, ADL officials called on the church to repudiate the report. The study "repeatedly twists history and employs inciteful language to denigrate Israel and Jews," the group's national director, Abraham Foxman, said in a statement.

Last night, church officials defended the study.

"The United Methodist Church is not neutral on the question of military occupations," officials said in a statement. "The mission study's perspective is in keeping with the thoughtful, informed, and consistent position of the United Methodist Church on the occupation of Palestinian territories," read the statement, which was signed by the interim general secretary of the church's General Board of Global Ministries, Bishop Felton May, and the deputy general secretary of the Women's Division, Harriett Olson.

The 11 million-member church is expected to take up the issue of divesting from companies that do business with Israel at its quadrennial national conference in April.


Reader comments on this article

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There is little doubt that the ADL would loudly inveigh if another country treated its Jews as Israel treats its... [MORE]

potobac 

Feb 20, 2008 06:58

I grew up in the Methodist Church when it was very Bible based in its teachings, in fact, I gave... [MORE]

Marilyn Blum 

Feb 23, 2008 01:51

It is outrageous that a church that stood aside during the Holocaust, now tries to assuage its guilt by... [MORE]

Nelson Marans 

Feb 21, 2008 17:00

Because a group did not speak out about an injustice in the past, should that disqualify it from speaking out... [MORE]

potobac 

Feb 22, 2008 03:40

Preaching another gospel was to be the hallmark of the falling away of the apostate church, just before Christ's... [MORE]

El Ragfish 

Feb 22, 2008 07:38

The UMC has declared itself against God's chosen people, Israel. This will be a final calling out of those... [MORE]

Elliott 

Feb 22, 2008 09:02

It is the Arab world that wishes to make their countries Judenrein. The Moslems living in the so-called "West bank"... [MORE]

Bill Cantor 

Feb 22, 2008 11:38

This makes me ashamed to be a Methodist. [MORE]

Ryan 

Feb 23, 2008 18:15

Leadership of the UMC is so entrenched in Replacement Theology they are ignoring the fact that there is a literal... [MORE]

John Dudley Robinson 

Feb 28, 2008 22:27