Sydney
14 April 2002
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Thousands welcome relics to St Mary’s
Woman chooses palliative care ahead of euthanasia
Jail being used for wrong purpose
Oarful day for Riverview
Caritas helps quake victims
Embryo pact on ‘slippery moral slope’
In love with the Little Way and saintly humility
Archbishop calls for saint’s help to protect the unborn
Woomera action may be justified, says bishop
Shed workers use new skills to help others
Spirituality, ethics in focus
St John’s, Woodlawn, reunion
Janelle’s bake takes the cake
Perfect patron – a saint with a joy that inspires
Litany in Chinese verse
Editorial: Asking for a little help
Letters: Stem-cell research
Conversation: Abduction ‘gave me strength, courage’ - Juliana Waithera Muiruri, aid worker
Reflections: Peace and the Arab-Israeli conflict
From Samoa with love ... and a gift
Opinion: Relics – veneration of God’s transforming grace
Pilgrims and Padre Pio – it’s big business
Feature: First priest to the Great South Lands
Reflections: Peace and the Arab-Israeli conflict
By Marianne Dacy nds
Balanced media coverage in Church circles of the Middle East conflict is an extremely difficult issue. In latter years anti-Semitism has been on the rise.
Since September 11, the Palestinian issue has become more of a focus of concern for the whole of the Christian world. Some believe that ‘replacement theology’ – the claim that all God’s promises to the Jews, including the land of Israel, have been inherited by Christianity – has been revived under the influence of the Middle East conflict.
Some evidence for this belief has been provided by the attempt by Arab-Christians to reinterpret Scripture in order to delegitimise the Jewish claims to the land of Israel.
An article by Melanie Phillips in The Spectator (February 19) reports the Anglican Archbishop of Wales as being among Church leaders concerned that opposition to Israel is motivated not only by concern for the fate of the Palestinians but also by the anti-Semitism rooted deep in Christian theology.
Palestinian politics and Christian theology have become inextricably intertwined.
Attitudes tend to progress beyond legitimate criticism of Israel to hatred of the Jews.
Many Jews are themselves appalled by the destruction of Palestinian houses, targeted assassinations and other apparent Israeli over-reactions to the Middle East conflict.
Yet, those who blame Israel for its current behaviour under attack from the suicide bombings in its key cities fail to realise that for sections of Islam the very existence of Israel is a problem.
The media continues to feed on conflict and sensationalism and reports bloodshed, suicide bombers and retaliation. Reporting tends to be selective, often biased, inaccurate and oversimplified.
What we do not hear about are the many different co-operative activities for peace among Israelis and Palestinians. Numerous prayer vigils have been held by the Israel Interfaith Association.
A group of Israeli and Palestinian women have an email listing which they circulate round the world advertising their silent protests and peaceful activities.
Who of us saw coverage of the group from the Israeli Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace who went to New York from Tel Aviv recently in an effort for their message to be heard by world leaders and the media?
The Bereaved Families for Peace include the Parents Circle (200 Israeli families) and the National Movement for Change (150 Palestinian families).
The group said that four months ago they saw an increasing number of “peace people” waking up in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
They spoke of hundreds of billboards and car stickers in Gaza and the West Bank asking for peace.
All those in the group have lost children in the conflict and are motivated to make peace together.
There is hope for peace and reconciliation where such groups exist.
Dr Marianne Dacy (NDS) is a Sister of Sion and secretary of the Australian Council of Christians and Jews. She runs the Archive of Australian Judaica at the University of Sydney and lectures and writes in the area of Christian/Jewish relations.