While the Presbyterian Church in the US has decided to divest from Israel, a new source of support for the Jewish State has come from another, unexpected Christian source.
Catholic Friends of Israel (CFOI) say they are "faithful Roman Catholics who support Israel... wish to draw more attention to the plight of long-suffering Catholics and other Christians in the Muslim world... and are mindful of the resurgence of virulent anti-Semitism." The group educates Catholics on the Arab-Israeli conflict, monitors anti-Israeli bias in the Catholic press and "resist attempts to politicize [their] liturgy with a pro-Palestinian spin."
In an interview (http://israpundit.com/archives/007700.html) with Don Kenner, the Director of CFOI, the IsraPundit news-commentary website asked Kenner about his organization's activities and plans for the future.
IsraPundit: "Are you able to speak about your pro-Israel message in churches?"
Don Kenner: "There are generally two kinds of Catholic churches: those that allow political activity and those that limit on-site speakers and groups to the pastoral concerns. The former tend to be left-wing and the latter tend to avoid politics. Personally, I would rather speak to groups of Catholics in their homes, but we aren't there yet."
IsraPundit: "Your site states that 'We believe there are millions of Catholics who represent an untapped resource for support of the Jewish State and its right to defend itself from terrorism.' To what extent have you indeed met with popular support among Catholics? Do you find that the readership of your site is increasing?"
Don Kenner: "I fervently believe that most Catholics in North America have sympathy for Israel's plight and justifiably see their war against terror as linked to our war. The average Catholic soccer mom who writes the checks to the local Church certainly does not support the PLO, ISM, Palestinian 'resistance' or any other pro-terrorist abomination. Most Catholics, and this includes many in Europe, see radical Islam for what it is: ravenous and unreasonable.
"The readership of our site is increasing steadily. ...We have much to do to get our site out to lay Catholics and sympathetic clergy, but our email box is filled with people around the world who thank heaven we exist."
...
"[Lay] Catholics are patriotic, suspicious of an over-reaching government, and hard line when it comes to things like terrorism. They sympathize with Israel in the same way that most Americans in general sympathize with Israel. ...Apart from that general observation... [In] major Catholic publications, anti-Israel material generally comes from Priests, Nuns, or liberal activists/writers, while a healthy pro-Israel response comes from lay Catholics. ....Anti-Israel comments are among the most controversial things a priest can say, especially after 9-11."
IsraPundit: "Do you support the so-called 'two-state solution'?"
Don Kenner: "Israel acquired the disputed territories from invading Arab countries. If she wishes to trade some of it away to achieve security, it would seem silly for a bunch of Catholics to protest. However, I believe that the land-for-peace scheme has been an unmitigated failure, precisely because the so-called peace partners want to liberate 'occupied Tel Aviv.'
"Officially, CFOI takes no position on what a just peace should entail, but we certainly have our opinions on what doesn't work. We reject on factual and moral grounds any reference to the disputed territories as 'Palestinian land.'"
In contrast to CFOI and nearly every Jewish group, one left-wing Jewish extremist group called Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), "applauded the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) for its recent vote to explore divesting from companies who profit from the harming of innocent people... [using] selective divestment as a way to end Israel's occupation... Responsible investment by institutions, including churches, governments, corporations and individuals, is a vital tool in bringing a just peace to the troubled region of Israel-Palestine [sic]. When a 3-million member institution with the fiscal clout and moral credibility of PCUSA takes a stand, others will soon follow."
Catholic Friends of Israel (CFOI) say they are "faithful Roman Catholics who support Israel... wish to draw more attention to the plight of long-suffering Catholics and other Christians in the Muslim world... and are mindful of the resurgence of virulent anti-Semitism." The group educates Catholics on the Arab-Israeli conflict, monitors anti-Israeli bias in the Catholic press and "resist attempts to politicize [their] liturgy with a pro-Palestinian spin."
In an interview (http://israpundit.com/archives/007700.html) with Don Kenner, the Director of CFOI, the IsraPundit news-commentary website asked Kenner about his organization's activities and plans for the future.
IsraPundit: "Are you able to speak about your pro-Israel message in churches?"
Don Kenner: "There are generally two kinds of Catholic churches: those that allow political activity and those that limit on-site speakers and groups to the pastoral concerns. The former tend to be left-wing and the latter tend to avoid politics. Personally, I would rather speak to groups of Catholics in their homes, but we aren't there yet."
IsraPundit: "Your site states that 'We believe there are millions of Catholics who represent an untapped resource for support of the Jewish State and its right to defend itself from terrorism.' To what extent have you indeed met with popular support among Catholics? Do you find that the readership of your site is increasing?"
Don Kenner: "I fervently believe that most Catholics in North America have sympathy for Israel's plight and justifiably see their war against terror as linked to our war. The average Catholic soccer mom who writes the checks to the local Church certainly does not support the PLO, ISM, Palestinian 'resistance' or any other pro-terrorist abomination. Most Catholics, and this includes many in Europe, see radical Islam for what it is: ravenous and unreasonable.
"The readership of our site is increasing steadily. ...We have much to do to get our site out to lay Catholics and sympathetic clergy, but our email box is filled with people around the world who thank heaven we exist."
...
"[Lay] Catholics are patriotic, suspicious of an over-reaching government, and hard line when it comes to things like terrorism. They sympathize with Israel in the same way that most Americans in general sympathize with Israel. ...Apart from that general observation... [In] major Catholic publications, anti-Israel material generally comes from Priests, Nuns, or liberal activists/writers, while a healthy pro-Israel response comes from lay Catholics. ....Anti-Israel comments are among the most controversial things a priest can say, especially after 9-11."
IsraPundit: "Do you support the so-called 'two-state solution'?"
Don Kenner: "Israel acquired the disputed territories from invading Arab countries. If she wishes to trade some of it away to achieve security, it would seem silly for a bunch of Catholics to protest. However, I believe that the land-for-peace scheme has been an unmitigated failure, precisely because the so-called peace partners want to liberate 'occupied Tel Aviv.'
"Officially, CFOI takes no position on what a just peace should entail, but we certainly have our opinions on what doesn't work. We reject on factual and moral grounds any reference to the disputed territories as 'Palestinian land.'"
In contrast to CFOI and nearly every Jewish group, one left-wing Jewish extremist group called Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), "applauded the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) for its recent vote to explore divesting from companies who profit from the harming of innocent people... [using] selective divestment as a way to end Israel's occupation... Responsible investment by institutions, including churches, governments, corporations and individuals, is a vital tool in bringing a just peace to the troubled region of Israel-Palestine [sic]. When a 3-million member institution with the fiscal clout and moral credibility of PCUSA takes a stand, others will soon follow."