The  Executive  Board  of  the  International  Council  of  Christians  and  Jews issued  a  statement  today  expressing  alarm  over  an  “increasing  polarization  in  the  discourse  between  Jews  and Christians  and  also  within  each  community,”  when  it  comes  to  the  Israeli‐Palestinian  conflict.  Based  on  reports from  ICCJ  members  around  the  world,  “extreme  viewpoints  seem  to  be  increasing  in  popularity,  while  efforts toward moderation or compromise are rejected as disloyal or naive.”

Observing that the “degree of vehemence seems to be reaching an unprecedented crescendo in many places,” the statement  entitled,  “Let  Us  Have  Mercy  Upon  Words,”  insists  that  the  prevailing  “no  holds  barred”  rhetoric  is particularly  distressing  to  “an  organisation  committed  to  interreligious  dialogue  to  promote  understanding and enrichment between Jews and Christians.”

The title was a frequent appeal by the late Rabbi Leon Klenicki (1930‐2009), longtime interreligious director for the Anti‐Defamation League. He would intervene with these words when interreligious conversations became overly heated or personalized.

The ICCJ statement illustrates its concerns by discussing reactions to a December 2009 declaration by Palestinian Christians  called,  “Kairos  Palestine:  A  Moment  of  Truth:  A  word  of  faith,  hope  and  love  from  the  heart  of Palestinian suffering.”

The  statement  expresses  appreciation  for  aspects  of  the  Kairos  Palestine  document,  but  also  lists six serious questions about it.

However,  the  ICCJ  stresses  that  its  “main  purpose  in  discussing  the  [Kairos]  document  is  not  to  analyze its weaknesses, but to seriously engage its authors in the kind of respectful dialogue that we believe is essential for mutual respect among all religious communities, especially ones afflicted by political conflict.”   The ICCJ statement sees a lack of such respectful dialogue in the reaction of some critics of Kairos Palestine, who “come  across  as  construing  any  [of  its]  ambiguities  in  the  most  negative  light,  making  spurious  assertions  that delegitimize the document.”

“Unlike most of the other responses we’ve seen, ours, I believe, is nuanced and balanced, and does not assume the worst about others,” said Dr. Deborah Weissman, president of the ICCJ. “I hope that it will contribute to advancing the dialogue rather than stifling it.”

“We join all those who love the Land called holy by three interrelated religions in being impatient for the day when it truly will be a sign of interreligious cooperation and even love between the nations of Israel and Palestine,” the statement concludes. “Meanwhile, let our impatience be tempered by having “mercy upon words” so that through dialogue mutual understanding may grow.”

The full text of “Let Us Have Mercy Upon Words” follows.
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The International Council of Christians and Jews serves as the umbrella organisation of 38 national Jewish‐Christian dialogue  organisations on  five continents. Its member  organisations world‐wide  over  the past  five  decades  have been  successfully  engaged  in  the  historic  renewal  of  Jewish‐Christian  relations.  The  ICCJ’s  efforts  to  promote Jewish‐Christian  dialogue  provide  models  for  wider  interfaith  relations,  particularly  dialogue  among  Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Through its annual conferences and other consultations the ICCJ offers a platform where people  of  different  religious  backgrounds  examine  current  issues  across  national  and  religious  boundaries, enabling  face‐to‐face  exchanges  of  experience  and  expertise.  The  international  headquarters  of  the  ICCJ  are located  in  Heppenheim,  Germany  in  the  house  where  the  great  Jewish  thinker  Martin  Buber  lived  until  Nazi persecution forced him to flee Germany.

“LET US HAVE MERCY UPON WORDS.”

A Plea from the International Council of Christians and Jews to All Who Seek Interreligious Understanding During its annual meeting from 20-24 June 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey, the Executive Board of the International Council of Christians and Jews was dismayed to receive accounts from around the world of increasing polarization in the discourse between Jews and Christians and also within each community. According to many of our members, extreme viewpoints seem to be increasing in popularity, while efforts toward moderation or compromise are rejected as disloyal or naive.

This polarization appears to be caused in large part by the continuing lack of progress in normalizing relations between Israelis and Palestinians and in achieving the goal of two states of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

Instead of the open discussion of complicated issues, Jews and Christians who critique the current reality are delegitimized or silenced, while expressions of antisemitism and Islamophobia abound. In such a heated climate, the use of certain charged phrases, such as “end the Occupation” or “the survival of Israel” can trigger reflexive condemnations, regardless of the thoughtfulness or good will of the writer or speaker. The degree of vehemence seems to be reaching an unprecedented crescendo in many places.

As an organisation committed to interreligious dialogue to promote understanding and enrichment between Jews and Christians (and indeed all people), this increasingly “no holds barred” rhetoric is particularly distressing. It contradicts fundamental values of human respect in both our traditions.

Several recent incidents could illustrate the present volatile atmosphere, but we will only consider one particular example because it is a text composed and discussed by religious leaders, who we believe have a special responsibility to promote interfaith respect. We are referring to published reactions to the December 2009 statement by a group of Palestinian Christians entitled, “Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth: A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering.” We find admirable aspects to the document even though we object to many of its proposals and phrasings.

The genre of the document is a lament. It addresses fellow Palestinian Christians, then local leaders, Palestinian and Israeli society, the international community, and Christians around the world. It proceeds to describe the deteriorating conditions of Palestinian life. It particularly assails the use of the Bible to justify the taking away of rights from Palestinians [2.2-4; 6.1]. This use of the Bible has the pastoral effect of depriving Palestinian Christians of scriptures that could offer them inspiration and hope. The statement bemoans the Palestinian situation as a catastrophe that seems to continue with no end in sight, attributing this to “the Occupation.”

What strikes us as admirable is that despite the hardships that the text relates, it does not descend into rage, hatred, or even ─ as is sadly all too common today ─ empty polemic. Instead, the document manifests generosity of spirit and offers some weighty religious insights, which might not be expected from a lament.

It asserts the common humanity of everyone as made in the image of God [2.1; 8]. It sees the Land as meant to be a holy place where Jews, Christians, and Muslims can come together in love and mutual respect [5.4]. It rejects all forms of violence by anyone [5.4.3]. It insists that the Bible cannot be used to justify the violation of human rights, but must inspire faith, hope, and love [2.4]. It urges that interreligious dialogue and education occur despite its difficulties [3.3.2; 9.1]. It extends a message of love and hope to Jews and Muslims [5.4]. The Palestinian authors of the document offer a profound Christian conviction which some critics overlook: “Just as Christ rose in victory over death and evil, so too we are able, as each inhabitant of this land is able, to vanquish the evil of war” [3.5]. The spiritual encouragement that the document could offer to demoralized Christians seems to us a worthy and essential exercise in pastoral care. It seeks to bring hope to young people who could easily be tempted to hopelessness and desperation. It looks ahead to preparing Palestinian Christians to be partners with Israelis when the day comes that two independent states actually exist [9.1-2].

This is not to say that we do not have strong differences with certain features of Kairos Palestine, some of which we will briefly note. However, our main purpose in so doing is to encourage open and honest conversation among religious leaders, in contrast to the widespread present tendency to misrepresent or distort different perspectives. We hope that these questions, posed to promote dialogue and clarity, might be useful to the Kairos Palestine authors if they ever compose a commentary or a second edition of it.

1. There appears to be a studied ambiguity in some phrasings, encouraging justifiable readings that range from extremely positive to extremely negative, depending on the orientation of the reader. To take one example, the title “Kairos Palestine” is surely intended to recall the famous 1985 “Kairos Document” from Soweto, South Africa, which like Kairos Palestine also challenged churches to intervene on behalf of an oppressed and demoralized people. Do the authors of Kairos Palestine mean to suggest that Palestinian Christians or Palestinians in general are experiencing apartheid, or that an apartheid state is inevitable without some change, or is the allusion to South Africa a rhetorical strategy? It would be helpful if the meaning the authors intended by the title was explicit.

2. There are certain tensions in the text. Are these deliberate or the result of the document being committee- authored? For example, point 1.5 describes previous peace negotiations as ineffectual, observes that some “political parties followed the path of armed resistance,” and goes on to accuse Israel of “using this as a pretext” to justify their “war against terror.” But the paragraph does not define “armed resistance” or explicitly reject the use of violence as it does elsewhere in section 4. Even in that section there is ambiguity. The document expresses “esteem for all those who have given their life for our nation” [4.2.5]. Does this include suicide bombers or snipers who might have viewed themselves as martyrs for the Palestinian nation? This vagueness invites skepticism about the sincerity of the text’s high principles.

3. We agree with Kairos Palestine that Jewish religious attachment to Eretz Yisrael and biblical promises concerning the Land cannot be simplistically interpreted to justify modern politics, policies, or boundaries. However, the document is again ambiguous when it asserts that “our land has a universal mission” that is a “prelude to complete universal salvation” [2.3]. Does this stress on eventual universality invalidate the particularity of Jewish religious attachment to the Land today or is it only a rejection of an exclusively Jewish religious claim upon it?

4. Our plea for everyone to “have mercy upon words,” as explained below, also applies to the document’s ambiguous use of highly charged theological phrases, such as “letters of stone,” “sin,” and “holy war.” While such expressions may be understandable in dire straits, they are often counterproductive to the goal of significant conversation among contending forces. What did the authors seek by using such freighted terms without clear definition or explication?

5. The understandable cry to “end the Occupation” is put forth as if only one party, the State of Israel, has sole responsibility for its establishment and continuance. But just as the beginnings of the present “sinful situation” are due to the actions of many regional and international powers, do not neighboring countries, their proxies, and the international community also have essential roles to play in order for Palestinian statehood to be realized? Although a broader vista appears in point 7, it calls only for the international community to institute “economic sanctions and boycott to be applied against Israel” without regard for any needed actions by other parties. We disapprove of this constricted focus both in principle and in terms of its likely effectiveness to achieve the aim of building two neighboring states of Israel and Palestine.

6. Section 9.3 speaks of “the state” in the singular, leading some to ask whether the authors of Kairos Palestine are committed to the “two state solution,” or are they only referring to “the state” in general terms to assert that any “state” ought not to have an established religion?

These and other serious objections or questions about Kairos Palestine do not outweigh our appreciation for its spiritual dimensions as noted above. Our main purpose in discussing the document is not to analyze its weaknesses, but to seriously engage its authors in the kind of respectful dialogue that we believe is essential for mutual respect among all religious communities, especially ones afflicted by political conflict. We sympathize both with those Palestinians who feel that the likelihood of a Palestinian state seems to be dwindling and with those Israelis who fear that their hopes to live in friendship with their Palestinian neighbors are a pipedream.

We also see in some responses to Kairos Palestine further evidence of growing polarization, antithetical to dialogue, that deeply concerns us. Rather than seriously grappling with its strengths and weaknesses, some critics come across as construing any ambiguities in the most negative light, making spurious assertions that delegitimize the document. For example, one allegation circulated on the Internet is that the term “dead letter” in the statement [2.2.2] is a supersessionist demeaning of the Hebrew scriptures. In fact the phrase clearly refers to fundamentalist applications (presumably both Christian and Jewish) of the Bible to current geopolitics, which transforms the text from a living tradition that is subject to interpretation by people of faith today into a stagnant fossil from the past. Another writer exaggerated the document’s critique of Israel by describing it as “demonizing” Israel. Such overstatements are a sign of the present militant atmosphere in which authentic religious convictions can be ignored. “Love is the commandment of our Christ our Lord to us and it includes both friends and enemies” [4.2] declare the Christian authors of Kairos Palestine. Does cynicism hold such sway in the present climate that authentic spiritual expressions, in this case a Christian one, must be contemptuously ignored?

On many occasions, the late Rabbi Leon Klenicki (1930-2009) would intervene at contentious moments in the interreligious encounter to implore everyone to “have mercy upon words.” We urge all those involved in interreligious dialogue around the world to consciously resist the forces that promote polarization and undermine the very possibility of such dialogue.

We join all those who love the Land called holy by three interrelated religions in being impatient for the day when it truly will be a sign of interreligious cooperation and even love between the nations of Israel and Palestine. Meanwhile, let our impatience be tempered by having “mercy upon words” so that through dialogue mutual understanding may grow.

• For Your Diary
• With Ecological Eyes – Elaine M. Wainwright
• The Mystery of God‘s Call – Brian Arahill
• Cardinal Receives AJC Award
• Book Reviews
  • Globalising Hatred: The New Antisemitism by Denis MacShane, reviewed by Christopher Honore
  • The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany by Martin Goldsmith, reviewed by Peter Wedde
  • The Flight by Bryan Malessa, and Pushing Time Away by Peter Singer, reviewed by Lynne Wall
• Roads That Lead to Cambridge – Lucia Faltin
• News and Notes
• Times and Seasons

Theme: Christian-Jewish Dialogue: Encouraging Development, Emerging Challenges

Keynote speaker: Rev Dr John Pawlikowski OSM, Professor of Ethics and Director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Programme at the University of Chicago, Past President of the ICCJ and for over forty years a leading figure in Jewish-Christian relations worldwide. With Dr Paul Morris, Professor of Religious Studies, Victoria University of Wellington.

Featuring also Mona Williams, New Zealand’s foremost professional story-teller, speaking after dinner on Saturday and after lunch on Sunday.

Programme

If you would like to come to the conference, please download, fill in, and return the registration form (Word) (PDF) with your registration payment of $20.

How Our Religious Traditions Inform Economic Policy

Wednesday 9 June 2010 at 7.30pm
Myers Hall, Wellington Jewish Community Centre
80 Webb St, Wellington

Entry by koha, all are welcome

Speakers:

• Hon Chris Finlayson, Attorney General
• Dr Prue Hyman, Adjunct Professor, Victoria University of Wellington
• Imam Afroz Ali, President, Al-Ghazzali Centre for Islamic Sciences and Human Development (Sydney)

The three talks will be followed by an panel discussion, and a farewell to founding member Rabbi Chaim Dovrat

For more information, contact Dave Moskovitz, 027 220 2202

Download the flyer.

The you can download or listen to the audio:

Key points:

• The Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land (which comprised leaders from all of the major religions in Israel and Palestine) met in 2002 and agreed that Violence in the name of religion is a desecration of religion. This fact is little reported.  Why then is religion exploited as a tool to incite violence?
• Religion forms an important part of many people’s identity.  Particularity, or defining one’s self to be part of a separate group is good, so long as it does not lead to denigration, demonisation, or ultimately dehumanisation of the other. Ideally we would be able to celebrate these differences.
• When people are feeling insecure or threatened, this particularity can lead to withdrawal, and this is when extremists can exploit religion as a tool of violence.  Therefore, while religion is part of the problem, it must also be part of the solution.
• The Israel/Arab and Israel/Palestine struggle is essentially a territorial conflict, and has been until recently treated as such by all Middle East leaders.  It is only recently that the religious dimension has started to play a part.
• The Oslo Accords ignored the religious dimension, and thus disenfranchised moderate voices.  If you don’t have moderate voices in the debate, then extremest voices will be only too willing to fill the vacuum.
• Now that the religious dimension is in play, any political initiative will succeed only if it takes the religious dimension seriously.

The session was moderated by Professor Paul Morris, Chair of the Religious Studies department, and chaired by His Most Reverend John Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington.  Rev Jenny Chalmers, the Christian Co-Chair of the Wellington Council of Christians and Jews gave a vote of thanks at the end.

You might also be interested in Rabbi Rosen’s interview on Nine to Noon this morning:

Christians Muslims and Jews in the Middle East:
Is religion the problem or the solution?

Rabbi David Rosen
International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee
International Co-President, World Council of Religions for Peace
Former President, International Council of Christians and Jews
Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland

8pm, Wednesday 25 November 2009
Council Chamber, Victoria University of Wellington

Moderator: Archbishop John Dew
Chair: Professor Paul Morris

Download the flyer in Word or PDF format.

• Editorial.
• News and Notes
• Book Reviews:
  • The Language of God (Collins) and The God Delusion (Dawkins)
  • The Book Thief (Zusak)
  • Journal (Berr)
  • The Misunderstood Jew (Levine)
• Forgiveness in Judaism – Wendy Ross
• Decline in Christian Numbers in the Middle East
• Pope Benedict XVI’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land – David Rosen
• Father John Pawlikowski – biography and comment
• Times and Seasons

From Seelisberg to Berlin and Beyond
A Workshop on Jewish-Christian Relations
With Prof Paul Morris, Religious Studies Department, Victoria University of Wellington

Tuesday 16 June, 7.30pm at
The Wellington Jewish Community Centre
80 Webb St, Wellington

Jews and Christians met at Seelisberg in 1947 in an attempt to forge Jewish Christian co-operation after the Shoah (Holocaust). The International Council for Christians and Jews was created at this meeting and a ten point document, the Ten Points of Seelisberg formed a basis of understanding between Christians and Jews.

Sixty two years later the ICCJ issued a further document, the Twelve Points of Berlin which acknowledges changes and reforms Christians have made in their attitudes to Jews. But in the light of increased anti-Semitic acts in Europe, and local actions at the beginning of the year, have Christians really reformed?

Prof. Paul Morris will begin the evening with an over view of the effect of the Seelisberg document and an analysis of the twelve points of Berlin and we’ll discuss in workshops whether the two documents have affected relationships between Christians and Jews in New Zealand, and what the future might hold for Christian Jewish relations.

For more information, contact the Secretary, Dave Moskovitz, on 027 220 2202 or contact us on the form below…

Programme:
Sunday July 5, 2009

13.00 Women’s seminar
18.00 Reception
18.30 Opening dinner
20.00 Opening session with presentation of the new ICCJ document
“A TIME FOR RECOMMITMENT:
BUILDING THE NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JEWS AND CHRISTIANS.”
including the ‘Twelve Points of Berlin’/’Zwölf Berliner Thesen’.
Guest: Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, German Minister for the Interior

Monday July 6, 2009

07.00 Denominational prayers at hotel
07.30 Breakfast
09.00 Meditative moment
09.30 Plenary session
Christian Key note speaker (to be invited)
Jewish Respondent: Dr. Edward Kessler, Cambridge
Theme: The necessity of developing theologies of Judaism that affirm its distinctive integrity.
11.00 Workshops (contributors and moderators to be invited) on theological themes
deriving from the Twelve ICCJ Berlin Points, such as:
- Paul and Judaism
- Mutual influencing of Jewish and Christian liturgy
- 21st century forms of supersessionism
- Reform of synagogue liturgy?
- How to work with the ‘Twelve ICCJ Berlin Points’ etc.
12.30 Lunch
14.00 Workshops (contributors and moderators to be invited)
on today’s issues in Jewish-Christian dialogue, such as:
- The Roman Catholic Church under Pope Benedict XVI
- The necessity of trilateral dialogue
- The political situation in the Middle East
- The input of Asia and Africa in dialogue. Etc.
15.30 Free evening in Berlin

Tuesday July 7, 2009.

07.00 Denominational prayers at hotel
07.30 Breakfast
09.00 Meditative moment
09.30 Plenary session
Jewish key note speaker: Prof. Ruth Langer, Boston College
Christian Respondent: Dr. Barbara Meyer, Jerusalem.
Theme: Re-examining Jewish texts and liturgy in the light of Jewish-Christian dialogue.
11.30 Outing by boat on the Spree river
15.30 Break at hotel
17.30 Celebration of the 60-th anniversary of the ‘Deutsche Koordinierungsrat’ at the
Französischer Dom. Special guest: Dr. Angela Merkel, Chancellor.
19.30 Reception and dinner

Wednesday July 8, 2009

07.00 Denominational prayers at hotel
07.30 Breakfast
09.00 Meditative moment
09.30 Plenary session.
A panel with a Jewish, a Christian and a Muslim speaker. (to be invited)
Theme: ‘The common commitment for justice in the global society’.
11.00 Workshops on the non-theological points from the ‘Twelve ICCJ Berlin Points’.
13.30 Visits in Berlin: The Holocaust Memorial, The Jewish Museum and other places.
18.00 Closing event and dinner.

• Editorial: Lest We Forget
• For Your Diary: The 2009 Auckland CCJ programme
• ‘Thank you Jean, Welcome Chris’ A change of Editor for Massah
• Meetings of the International Council of Christians and Jews
• Is it Possible to Teach the New Testament without being Anti-Semitic? (Jean Holm)
• The Middle East Violence – Statement Dr Deborah Weissman
• Review of Reading (Terry Wall)
• Berlin’s Night of Broken Crystal (Paul Oestreicher)
• Auschwitz TIMESONLINE (Ruth Gledhill)
• On My Bookshelf
• Turning a Minus into a Plus – The latest Catholic-Jewish Crisis (David Rosen)
• Purim
• Film: The Boy in Striped Pyjamas
• Times and Season