To Rejoice or Demonstrate?

A white-haired man waved the flag of the Palestinian National Authority welcoming registrants to a conference likening Israel to South Africa during its apartheid era.

The two-day conference was held at the historic Old South Church, which traces its roots to the Puritans who helped found Boston and America. Now the church, affiliated with the United Church of Christ, cherishes its place at being at the forefront of progressive movements in our nation's history.

This weekend the church made itself home to Friends of Sabeel –North America, a group that describes itself as a "Christian ecumenical organization seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land." The conference's mission is to examine "the Apartheid Paradigm in Palestine-Israel: Issues of Justice and Equality."

To spend time thinking about the extent Israel, a democracy in the Middle East where the Knesset has elected Arab representatives, resembles South Africa is outrageous. Moreover, it is an obstacle to peace in the region.

The very presence of a prominent speaker at the conference, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, only heightened the unfair and inflammatory analogy between Israel and apartheid.

About 200 pro-Israel supporters, some carrying blue signs stating "we support Israel," stood across the street from the church on Friday as registrants poured in. The executive director of Boston's Jewish Community Relations Council, Nancy Kaufman, said they were there "to exercise our right to speak against extremism in an effort to demonize Israel and isolate Israel. Our community is concerned about the message of this conference."

The Old South Church's decision to welcome Sabeel put Ms. Kaufman, like other members of Boston's liberal Jewish community, in a tough spot. Ms. Kaufman's group works with the church on a myriad of local issues, such as health care and care and housing for the elderly.

While the Old South Church's senior minister, Reverend Nancy Taylor, paid lip service to the Jewish community's concerns in a prepared statement, "Israel's profound experience of insecurity and fear … is surrounded by a horrific combination of hostile nations, corrupt leadership and terrorism," she nonetheless stood by the church's decision to rent its building to a group that would liken Israel to South Africa. "Old South's decision to rent our building to Sabeel is in continuity with a history that dates back over 300 years and is at the heart of a free and vital democratic nation."

Later this week, the JCRC will meet with the leaders of Old South Church to explain why such a conference might damage their relationship. By that point, supporters of Israel may have to move on to a more national battle.

The coming year will mark the 60th anniversary of Israel's existence. While many admirers of Israel would like this to be a time of celebration, it will likely mean more meetings and demonstrations. Just as Israel's 50th anniversary was met with a wave of negative academic conferences along with protests across America, the same is on tap for 2008.

Already, a loose collection of pro-Palestinian activist groups is organizing under the banner of the "U.S. Palestine Conference Network," according to the Web site palestineconference.org. The group posted an invitation on their Web site for a November conference in order to work on creating a Palestinian National Conference for next year. It's subject: "Palestinians in the U.S.: Reclaiming Our Voice, Asserting Our Narrative."

The pro-Palestinian Web site declares the time since the creation of the state of Israel as "60 years of catastrophe" and offers to Palestinians "three points of unity," among them "self-determination … the Right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their original homes," and "the end of Zionist occupation and colonization of Palestine." Of these three points, the second suggests that there is no room for Israel as it now exists. The third "point of unity" could mean the elimination of Israel altogether depending on how "Zionist occupation" is defined. A logo on the Web site appears to depict the land of Palestine as between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.

During her speech to the crowd, Ms. Kaufman vowed that she would celebrate Israel's 60th birthday with pride. "We will come together … to celebrate Israel's 60th on June 1st," she said. But judging by the recent events in Boston, plans for another year of anti-Israel protests already are underway. If that's the case, she and other supporters of Israel may find themselves demonstrating far more than rejoicing.

Mr. Gitell (gitell.com) is a contributing editor of The New York Sun.