Tag Archives: Israel

Church leaders at Gaza Ceasefire news conference

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The grand finale of the  Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage organized by Kairos with participation from many mainline denominations was a press conference to explain what the real problem is and how to solve it.

Bishop Andrew Asbil was there representing the Anglican Church of Canada. You can watch the video below. The five ladies in the centre did all the talking while the bookend men kept silent; they did fidget a bit. I should have said there appeared to be two men and five women but these days, one never knows for sure.

I can summarise the video by saying it is 31 minutes and 24 seconds of pernicious lies, nonsense, and Jew-hatred garnished with a light sprinkling of inane ecclesiastical pieties.

Everything is Israel’s fault. The rape, murder, torture and kidnapping of Jews by Hamas on October the 7th was Israel’s fault: when contextualized these were the acts of resistance by a “militarily occupied people”. A variation of the just war theory: just gender-based violence.

One brave soul in the audience did point out that while everything is being asked of Israel, nothing is being asked of Hamas even though they had been firing missiles at Israel for decades. There was no coherent answer only a lament that Gaza has inadequate leaders – and that is Israel’s fault.

Bishop of Toronto calls for Gaza ceasefire

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The Rt. Rev. Andrew Asbil has written a letter to his diocese asking “our leaders” (politicians, presumably) to urge for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza.

What does this really mean, one wonders. It can’t mean that he wants pressure put on Hamas to release the Jewish hostages and surrender. That would produce an immediate ceasefire; if he meant that, he would say so.

The only other possibility is that he wants Israel to stop the war before it is won, leaving Hamas intact, guaranteeing further atrocities against the Jewish people. That, after all, is what Hamas has promised, although Asbil seems to think it would result in everyone joining hands and warbling I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing In Perfect Harmony. Maybe that’s what the Jews at the music festival were singing shortly before they were murdered, raped, beheaded, tortured  and carted off as hostages.

So he doesn’t want a ceasefire at all; he wants Israel to lose its war against Hamas.

If bishops must insist on meddling in politics, I do wish that they would occasionally choose the right side.

Read it all here:

Dear Friends,

For the last 216 days, the first item on our news has been about war in the Land of the Holy One. The scenes of destruction, human suffering and sorrow leave an indelible mark on all of us. In the face of it all, it is tempting to turn away and say, “We can do so little; what can we do?”

The Anglican Church of Canada keeps this Sunday as Jerusalem Sunday. It reminds us that we all have a special relationship with the Land of the Holy One, and we are called to pray for its peace. Canadians have a particular bond of friendship with the Diocese of Jerusalem: the Diocese of Ottawa is its companion diocese, and Archbishop Hosam Naoum is a dear friend of our Church. Many of us have had the privilege of visiting St. George’s College in Jerusalem for a pilgrimage course and have met, learned about and witnessed the experience of Palestinian Christians in the Middle East.

The incessant violence and warfare in Israel and Gaza is overwhelming in its statistics: 1,100 Israelis and 34,000 Palestinians dead since Oct. 7, 2023, and 1.7 million people displaced in a humanitarian crisis, with emergency aid agencies unable to cope with the need and unable to cross the access points.

Enough is enough.

Calls for a ceasefire are increasing internationally, and I join with those who are crying out: the time for a cessation of violence is past due.

Bishop Riscylla, Bishop Kevin and I will be participating in parts of the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage in Toronto this weekend, organized by KAIROS. This global movement of walking (or rolling) in prayerful solidarity with the people of Gaza will help raise awareness, raise money for humanitarian aid, and hopefully exert pressure on our leaders to urge a ceasefire now.

The Anglican Church of Canada is Antisemitic

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It hates Jews.

I can think of no other rational explanation for the latest missive from the ACoC on the war in Gaza. It calls for a ceasefire before Hamas has been defeated and the kidnapped Israeli hostages have been released.

It ignores the fact that civilian casualties are being caused by cowardly Hamas terrorists using civilians as human shields.

It ignores the fact that Israel warns civilians that buildings are going to be bombed, advises them to leave and Hamas shoots them as they do.

It ignores the fact that Hamas houses its headquarters in hospitals, mosques, kindergartens and schools in order to cause maximum civilian casualties when attacked.

It believes civilian casualty numbers produced by cowardly terrorist thugs who allow no freedom of the press, no free elections, or free anything else, rather than numbers from the IDF, whose government has all of the above.

And it expresses no outrage over the deaths of Muslims in these conflicts. Why? Because no Jews are involved:

Ethiopian conflict: 395,000 – 800,000 cumulative deaths

Yemeni civil war: 377,000 deaths

Deaths at the hands of Boko Haram: 368,000

Deaths from the war in Syria: 350,000

The Anglican Church of Canada reserves an especially vitriolic hatred for Israel. It hates the fact that God chose Israel. It hates Jews.

From here:

Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,

Thank you for writing yesterday and for your remarks in response to our letter of October 18th, in which we urged you to call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to allow potable water, food, medical care and more to reach the people of Gaza.

Thank you for your decisions and statements made in recent days, reiterating the importance of both Israel and Hamas respecting international law, ensuring the swift and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid, and of protecting Israeli and Palestinian civilians. Thank you for evacuating Canadian citizens to safety.

Much has happened in the weeks since our last letter. The siege of Gaza has worsened, resulting in the deaths of more than 11,400 Gazans, including 4,700 children. All hospitals in Gaza City are now closed, as hundreds of thousands of people require medical care. More than one million Palestinians have now been forcibly displaced into smaller and smaller areas in southern Gaza, where humanitarian aid remains at critically low levels. Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has increased dramatically, and East Jerusalamites live in fear and danger of racist attacks, including assaults upon Christians and Church leaders.

The anti-Israel bias of the Anglican Church of Canada

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On October the 17th, the Anglican Church of Canada issued the following statement condemning the murder of Jews by Hamas:

On Saturday the world watched in horror as Hamas launched a rapid, devastating barrage of violence against Israel. Rockets, drone attacks, the killing of civilians and the taking of hostages have ignited long simmering tensions between Israel and Palestine. Israel has responded with ongoing rocket attacks and the death toll on all sides rises daily.

On October the 18th, the ACoC wrote a letter to Justin Trudeau demanding respect for international law in Gaza. This was provoked by the bombing of the Al Ahli Arab hospital which is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Unlike the devastating barrage of violence in the prior statement, the bombing fell into the much worse category of a crime against humanity. Because it was not aimed at Jews.

The Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, in one deft move, have not only demonstrated their anti-Jewish bias, but collectively shot themselves in the foot: the rocket that destroyed the hospital was fired by Hamas.

From here:

In the strongest terms, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem condemns this atrocious attack that has transpired in the heart of Gaza. Initial reports suggest the loss of countless lives, a manifestation of what can only be described as a crime against humanity. Hospitals, by the tenets of international humanitarian law, are sanctuaries, yet this assault has transgressed those sacred boundaries. We heed the call of Archbishop Justin Welby (Archbishop of Canterbury), who implored for the safeguarding of medical facilities and the rescission of evacuation orders. Regrettably, Gaza remains bereft of safe havens……… An urgent appeal resonates for the international community to fulfill its duty in protecting civilians and ensuring that such inhumane horrific acts are not replicated.

Justin Welby bombs his own twitter (X) feed

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Yesterday Justin Welby quoted the BBC saying: Hundreds feared dead or injured in Israeli air strike on hospital in Gaza:

He is correct, of course, it is an appalling loss of innocent lives. The problem with his tweet, though, is that the hospital was bombed by Hamas, not Israel.

Welby later, in a face-saving backpedal, said “We must exercise restraint in apportioning blame until the facts are clear.” He should have said “I”:

What he failed to note was that the rocket was intentionally aimed at civilians, it just hit the wrong ones.

Contrasting prayers during wartime

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The first is a combined effort from the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada:

God of peace and justice,
Our hearts weep as the rockets fall in Israel and Gaza,
As families are bereaved
As men, women and children are taken hostage,
As anger and hatred are fuelled again.

In the land you chose for your people and your Son we pray
for those bereaved by the violence,
For the wounded and injured,
For the hostages
That your love will surround and comfort them.

We pray for strength and compassion
for all offering medical care, especially our partners, the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital
and Augusta Victoria Hospital.

We pray for Bishop Sani Azar and Archbishop Hosam Naoum and all Christians in the Holy Land for their safety and their leadership in this time of crisis.

We pray for all leaders in Israel and Palestine that a just and lasting peace will be found.

In the midst of our grief and sorrow we trust in your unfailing love for all people, and
for your Land, and ask that your wisdom would prevail, for we ask in the name of

Jesus Christ, who brings the world eternal peace.

In contrast, here is Archbishop William Temple’s prayer during World War 2:

‘Lord bless our country and all who serve it. Uphold our courage through all that comes. Make us worthy of victory, and establish peace and good will: through Jesus Christ our Lord.’

The most obvious difference, other than the lengths, is that the latter prayer includes the idea of victory, country, service and courage. The archbishop doesn’t seem particularly interested in a lasting peace with the Nazi’s; I don’t think I am reading too much into this by concluding he is praying for them to be defeated.

All of this is absent from the first prayer because the ACoC is unwilling to take a side – unless the issue is climate change, of course. Perish the thought that we might pray for Hamas to be defeated.

There is more in a similar vein from William Temple here:

 

Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee tweets sympathy for Gaza inhabitants

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The bishop of the Diocese of British Columbia has expressed her concern for the humanitarian crisis developing in Gaza, as well she should.

The only problem is, on October 7th, the day Hamas started raping grandmothers, beheading babies and shooting every Jewish civilian they encountered, she made no mention of the fact. Although to be fair, Hamas was inclusive: they also shot some Muslim civilians.

Instead, she lamented that the life of whales is disrupted by ships’ propellers.

I wonder if it has occurred to her that the misery in Gaza is more the fault of Hamas than Israel?

Why does the Anglican Church of Canada loath Israel?

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In April, bishops from the ACoC and ELCIC met with Members of Parliament to persuade them to “hold Israeli authorities accountable for human rights abuses under international law.”

Since no one listens to them or cares what they think, the bishops are just as powerless to influence MPs as the MPs are to punish another country for its alleged abuses. That doesn’t stop them trying, though.

The puzzling thing is, why does the ACoC reserve all its pious outrage for Israel? Just like any other country, Israel does things it shouldn’t, but it is still the most humane and democratic country in the Middle East.

Far worse human rights abuses occur in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, North Korea – and so on. We never hear a squeak from our bishops about them.

Are the bishops antisemitic?

Admittedly, the bishops do denounce Uganda because it hasn’t gone full-bore LGBT+. But that is just ugly neocolonialism oozing out from behind a veneer of inclusive, affirming, tolerant diversity.

From here:

Leaders of Canadian Anglican, Lutheran, United and Presbyterian churches, including Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, met with MPs from the Liberal and Conservative parties April 27 to “advocate for a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel,” according to a news release issued on a shared Anglican-Lutheran website the same day.

Among other policies, the church leaders requested the government create a special envoy to monitor and report on how children are treated in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and to hold Israeli authorities accountable for human rights abuses under international law. They also urged Ottawa to publicly condemn what they called Israel’s attack on Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations.

Nicholls and ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson had previously sent a series of letters to the government expressing concerns about violence on the part of the Israeli government and its citizens. In addition to the nation’s treatment of Palestinians, Nicholls has expressed concern over growing anti-Christian sentiment in the wake of the Jan. 13 desecration of the Christian Mount Zion Cemetery. Many of the Christians living in Israel and Palestine are ethnic Palestinians.

The group included Nicholls, along with Johnson; the Rev. Carmen Lansdowne, moderator of the United Church of Canada; and the Rev. Dorcas Gordon, principal emerita of the University of Toronto’s Knox College.

Anglicans and politics

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The Anglican Church of Canada’s Primate, Linda Nicholls has written an article explaining how the church decides to align itself with a particular social or political cause. She says:

Let me share how our church approaches that discernment and share a recent example in the life of our church. The general secretary and I are sometimes approached to add our signatures to a public letter on a significant public issue. Deliberation on the issue requires careful listening to a variety of sources. It is governed first by statements and resolutions of General Synod. Then we turn to Church House staff with knowledge of the issue and to our archivist, Laurel Parson. We also explore where our current partnerships and working relationships are implicated by what we might say.

We explore the theological questions embedded in the issue. What gospel principles are at the core of this matter? Where does our baptismal covenant intersect with it? Is this an issue of justice; dignity of human persons; care for creation or love of neighbour?

One might be tempted to leap recklessly to the conclusion that “gospel principles” would nudge the church into questioning why, during the pandemic, Canada’s health care system finds the time to continue murdering babies in abortion mills but has to postpone almost all elective surgery. Or, if it wants to look farther afield, condemn China’s crushing of freedom in Hong Kong or, indeed, of its own people.

But why bother with these peccadilloes when another chance to condemn Israel presents itself?

From here:

We write to you with great concern about Canada’s silence regarding the plans of the current coalition government of Israel to propose a vote in the Knesset (likely July 1st) on annexing a significant part of the occupied Palestinian territories. These plans constitute a grave breach of Canadian and international law, specifically Article 147 of the IV Geneva Convention, prohibiting the appropriation of property. This silence of the Canadian government is puzzling in light of the recent vote at the UN affirming the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, Canada’s policy position on Palestine-Israel, and its staunch support for the rule of law.

Anglican Church of Canada opposes Middle East peace plan

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It’s easy to see why: first, it’s a Trump proposal and the ACoC loathes Trump, second the ACoC is biased against Israel almost to the point of being anti-Semitic.

If only the primate were as interested in the salvation of souls as she is in hating Trump, perhaps fewer souls would be fleeing her church.

From here

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau:

Greetings to you from The Anglican Church of Canada.

I write today to urge Canada to maintain a principled policy position in accordance with international law, and to strongly, publicly oppose President Trump’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan for Israel and Palestine announced January 28th, 2020. Your confirmation in 2017 that Canada’s embassy in Israel will remain in Tel Aviv, affirming the open, international status of Jerusalem as a city of two peoples and three faiths, and your 2019 vote at the UN General Assembly affirming the right of the Palestinian People to self-determination, clearly demonstrate Canada’s commitment to principled leadership.

We commend to you the spirit of the Statement of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Holy Land Churches on January 30, 2020, on the “Deal of the Century”, urging instead “a just and lasting peace in the Middle East based on the international legitimacy of relevant UN resolutions, and in a manner that guarantees security, peace, freedom and dignity to all of the peoples of the region.”

We lament with global and Canadian ecumenical partners that the Trump administration’s plan is far from being a “win-win” for Israelis and Palestinians. Rather, we recognize, with many others including Canada, peace with justice will not come by discounting or ignoring Palestinian rights and aspirations. For solutions to be based upon equality, human rights and self-determination for all, the occupation of Palestinian lands must first end and Palestinians be meaningfully involved in planning processes from the beginning.

In 2013, The Anglican Church of Canada General Synod adopted a resolution calling on our church to support the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. The resolution recognizes the legitimate aspirations, rights and needs of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, with dignity within sovereign and secure borders. It condemns the use of violence of all kinds, especially against civilians, calls for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, and upon Israel, as the occupying power, to respect the Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids the transfer and settlement of its own citizens in the occupied territories.

The Anglican Church of Canada commends your “commitment to a safe and secure homeland for the Jewish people, and to a lasting peace between all peoples in the Middle East”. We pray with the Holy Land Patriarchs and Heads of Churches that, for their part, all Palestinian political parties, factions and leaders end their internal conflicts and adopt a unified stand towards state building based on plurality and democratic values.

With this letter comes the assurance of our respect for your leadership and prayers for you and the Government of Canada. I look forward to supporting Canada’s efforts with other international leaders in denouncing the notion that President Trump’s “Peace Plan for the Middle East” offers a framework through which peace could be negotiated.

Yours in Christ,

The Most Reverend Linda C. Nicholls
Archbishop and Primate