Thursday, 9 February 2012
Vivien Lichtenstein on Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Jews for Justice for Palestinians believe that:
+ Peace in the Middle East will only come about with mutual recognition and respect and must be seen as just by both sides.
+ Peace requires the end of illegal occupation and settlement.
+ Violence against civilians is unacceptable.
+ Israel’s policies in the West Bank and Gaza are breeding hatred and resentment.
+ It is crucial that Jews speak out for Palestinians’ human rights.
+ The humanitarian values of Judaism have been corrupted by the Israeli state’s human-rights abuses.
+ A lasting peace must be seen as just by both sides.
+ Britain, the EU, the USA, Russia and the UN must be persuaded to implement UN resolutions on Palestine.
If you agree then link up with over one thousand six hundred other Jews in Britain who make up Jews for Justice for Palestinians
The Torah teaches: ‘Justice, justice, you shall pursue’ (Deuteronomy 16:20).
To secure a lasting settlement to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis so they can live in peace and security, thrive side by side, and co-operate together, Jews today are obligated to pursue justice on behalf of both peoples.”
jfjfp.com/
Program of Stephen Sizer in Cairo
Because many church leaders and leading Muslims in Egypt are interested in understanding christian-zionism and its impact on politics in the Western world, especially in the USA, we will also offer a seminar for especially invited Egyptian (political) leaders.
PROGRAM (as of 11 January)
Monday 13 February 8.30-9.45 am AUC, Speak in discuss in class on Zionism of Dr Michael Reimer.
Monday 13 February 1-3 pm AUC, Mary Cross Hall, Speaker at al-Quds Palestinian Club, and discussion. Multimedia and catering.
Monday 13 February 7 pm St John’s Church, Port Said Street, Maadi: Speech on Christian Zionism: The historical roots, faith basis and political agenda, discussion.
Tuesday 14 February, 10-12 am Meeting with Heliopolis Clergy in St Michael’s Church, 8 Seti Street, Heliopolis: Christian-Zionism and the Bible, speech, discussion, film
Wednesday 15 February, 7-9 pm All Saints Cathedral, Zamalek (behind Marriott hotel), Christian-Zionism and the Bible. Speech, discussion, film
Thursday 16 February, 7-9 pm St Michael’s Church, 8 Seti Street, Heliopolis: Open Meeting: Christian-Zionism and the Bible. Speech, discussion, film
Friday 17 February, 11-12.15 am St Michael’s Church, 8 Seti Street, Heliopolis: Preaching in Anglican (English) worship service. Time for discussion afterwards.
Sunday 19 February, 7-8.30 pm St Michael’s Church, 8 Seti Street, Heliopolis: Preaching in Anglican (Arabic) worship service. Time for discussion afterwards.
Heliopolis Anglican Church
Monday, 6 February 2012
Iran is NOT developing nuclear weapons says US Defence Secretary
David Morrison writes:
Asked about Iran’s nuclear programme on Face the Nation on CBS on 8 January 2012, US Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, replied:
“Are they [the Iranians] trying to develop a nuclear weapon? No.” [1]
Viewers whose opinions on Iran’s nuclear activities have been formed by mainstream media in the West must have been amazed by this statement. There, the impression is constantly given that Iran definitely has an active programme to develop nuclear weapons, which will yield results in a year or two. And that has been the impression for the last six or eight years.
One would never guess that it has been the considered view of the US intelligence services since November 2007 that Iran hasn’t got an active nuclear weapons programme. This assessment was contained in a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) entitled Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities, key judgments of which were made public. These stated, inter alia:
“We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program … We assess with moderate confidence Tehran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program as of mid-2007 …” [2]
An IAEA statement on 4 December 2007 in response to the NIE said:
“IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei received with great interest the new U.S. National Intelligence Estimate about Iran’s nuclear program which concludes that there has been no on-going nuclear weapons program in Iran since the fall of 2003. He notes in particular that the Estimate tallies with the Agency’s consistent statements over the last few years that, although Iran still needs to clarify some important aspects of its past and present nuclear activities, the Agency has no concrete evidence of an ongoing nuclear weapons program or undeclared nuclear facilities in Iran.” [3]
The NIE’s conclusions were a disappointment rather than a relief to President George W Bush, who complained in his memoir, Decision Points, that the news “tied my hands on the military side”, saying:
“But after the NIE, how could I possible explain using the military to destroy the nuclear facilities of a country the intelligence community said had no active nuclear weapons program?”
(Quoted in Urging Obama to Stop Rush to Iran War by ex-CIA analysts Ray McGovern and Elizabeth Murray, published by Consortiumnews.com on 30 December 2011 [4])
Subsequent annual threat assessments of the US intelligence community given to the US Congress were not materially different from the conclusions of the NIE. For example, the February 2011 assessment to the House of Representatives intelligence committee by the Director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper stated:
“We continue to assess [that] Iran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons in part by developing various nuclear capabilities that better position it to produce such weapons, should it choose to do so. We do not know, however, if Iran will eventually decide to build nuclear weapons.” [5]
So, when he expressed the opinion on 8 January 2012 that Iran hadn’t got a nuclear weapons programme, Defense Secretary Panetta was merely repeating the considered view of the US intelligence services for the past four or five years. (*)
Do the Israeli intelligence services disagree with this assessment? Not significantly, judging by quotations from key Israeli intelligence service personnel published in the Israeli media.
Israel: Iran still mulling whether to build nuclear bomb was the headline on an article by Amos Harel in Haaretz on 18 January 2012, just before a recent visit to Israel by the head of the US military. The article said:
“Iran has not yet decided whether to make a nuclear bomb, according to the intelligence assessment Israeli officials will present later this week to General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“The Israeli view is that while Iran continues to improve its nuclear capabilities, it has not yet decided whether to translate these capabilities into a nuclear weapon – or, more specifically, a nuclear warhead mounted atop a missile. Nor is it clear when Iran might make such a decision.” [6]
This concurs with the view expressed in January 2011 by the head of Israeli military intelligence, Brigadier General Aviv Kochavi, just after his appointment to the post.
According to an Agence France Presse report, he told the Knesset foreign affairs and defence committee on 25 January 2011 that “Iran is not currently working on producing a nuclear weapon but could make one within ‘a year or two’ of taking such a decision” [7]. He added that Iran “would then need more time to develop an effective missile delivery system for it”.
He also said “it was unlikely that Iran which currently enriches uranium to 20 percent, would start enriching to the 90 percent level needed for a bomb, because it would be in open breach of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty exposing it to harsher sanctions or even a US or Israeli military strike”, adding that “at the moment, it's not in Iran's interest to move their programme ahead”.
Earlier in January 2011, Meir Dagan, who had just retired as head of Mossad, told the same Committee that he did not believe that Iran would be able to produce a nuclear weapon until 2015 (see Haaretz, 7 January 2011, [8]). According to Haaretz, he said that “Iran was a long way from being able to produce nuclear weapons, following a series of failures that had set its program back by several years”.
So, whereas Israeli political leaders often assert that Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons is imminent, Israel’s intelligence services question whether Iran has made a decision to develop nuclear weapons. In that, they appear to be at one with the US intelligence services.
David Morrison
23 January 2012
References:
[6] www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-iran-still-mulling-whether-to-build-nuclear-bomb-1.407866
Sunday, 5 February 2012
New International Version Study Bible (NIV)
The latest 2012 edition of the NIV Study Bible, available 16th February in the UK, features a stunning four-colour interior with full-color photographs, maps, charts, and illustrations.
Description:
The NIV Study Bible is the #1 bestselling study Bible in the world’s most popular modern English Bible translation—the New International Version. This best-loved NIV Study Bible features a stunning four-color interior with full-color photographs, maps, charts, and illustrations. Since its first release in 1985, the Gold Medallion Award-winning NIV Study Bible has become the treasured and trusted companion of over nine million Bible readers. The in-depth notes are coded to highlight notes of special interest in the areas of character study, archaeology, and personal application.
Visually arresting section breaks help you find your bearing in the Bible. Full-color photos, maps, and illustrations make this study Bible accessible and friendly. Referred to daily by millions of pastors, students, church leaders, and other Bible readers around the world, the over-20,000 NIV Study Bible notes are the handiwork of the same translation team that produced this Bible’s text.
The very best evangelical scholarship that brought you today’s most popular modern English Bible also contributed to the most celebrated and widely used study notes in existence. All of these features, and more, also make it perfect for homeschool use. Like no other Bible, the NIV Study Bible places an entire resource library for Bible study in your hands.
Features:
- Full text of the world’s most popular modern English Bible—the New International Version (NIV)
- Over 20,000 study notes, with icons to make important information easy to spot
- Introductions and outlines provide valuable background information for each book of the Bible
- In-text maps, charts, diagrams, and illustrations visually clarify the stories in the Bible
- 16 pages of full-color maps plus time lines and presentation page
- Words of Christ in red
- NIV concordance plus subject and study notes indexes
Biblica sponsored the New International Version (NIV) Bible, the world’s leading contemporary English translation. Since then, almost half a billion copies have reached people all over the globe.
A Rabbi Defends a Priest
I believe as a liberal rabbi that he is speaking prophetically on the issue of the compassion one brother or sister should have for another.
There are Jews in Israel who reach out and work for peace with the so-called "Palestinians" although their numbers are small in contrast to the Haredim and other ultra-Orthodox and fanatical Jews, who believe that real estate is more important than peace.
I think that the Rev. Sizer is urging a more thoughtful and ethical approach to negotiating peace in a two-nation solution. The difficulty for all Israelis and for Jews outside of Israel has been the continued violence from the West Bank and Gaza spurred on by Iran and Syria, perhaps other Middle Eastern nations, and funded especially by Iran.
The terrorism against civilians in Israel has intensified resistance to a two-state solution. "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me." would seem to be Rev. Sizer's song and emphasis.
Rabbi Stanley Howard Schwartz, D.D.
Radical CofE bishops: right passion, wrong issues
About a year ago a newspaper headline caught my eye. It read something like “Rowan Williams and Annie Lennox fight forest privatisation”. I wondered at the time what had prompted our scholarly primate and the former Eurythmics singer to combine to challenge government policy on the future of the Forestry Commission. In fact the Archbishop was just one of 100 signatories to an open letter opposing privatisation; others on the list included Ken Livingstone, Roy Hattersley and various Green and Labour politicians, as well as the radical Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. Oh, and the Bishop of Gloucester for some reason.
The open letter was a pretty blatant tug on the heart-strings: “We, who love and use the forests, believe that such a sale would be misjudged and short-sighted. It is our heritage. We are an island nation, yet more people escape to the forest than the seaside.”
These Churchillian words, rounded off with a factoid of stunning banality and questionable accuracy, contained more non-sequiturs than you could shake a stick at.
Nevertheless, once I had wiped the tears from my patriotic eyes, I began to ask myself: what Biblical imperative had prompted the Archbishop to join this motley band of lefties and eco-warriors in opposing, with such passion, clauses 17-19 of the Public Bodies Bill? Was it some modern paraphrase of Isaiah 10:19 (“And the remaining trees of his sold-off forests will be so few that a child could write them down”)? Or perhaps the Archbishop’s motivation was more apocalyptic, bearing in mind Revelation 7:3 (“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”)? I scoured the Lambeth Palace website for illumination, but could not find an answer.
I was reminded of the forestry issue when Anglican bishops last week defeated the government’s welfare reform plans in the House of Lords. The Bishops, described rather brutally by one Daily Mail columnist as “a bunch of pampered pinko prelates”, had united in their condemnation of the proposed £26,000-per-family cap on benefits. Their leader, the Bishop of Ripon & Leeds, had invoked the spirit of Matthew 19:14 (“suffer little children…”) when he told peers: “Christianity, along with other faiths and beliefs, requires us to think most of those that have no voice of their own. Children are one of the most evident examples of that. Children have no vote in our society. This amendment goes some way to protect them”.
This was another moment to bring out the handkerchief. But were the bishops really mounting a moral defence for a welfare system wherein those who work hard but earn little are obliged to subsidise the unemployed so that they can live in bigger houses in posher areas? The reaction from the right-wing press was predictable. In an article for The Sun, former political editor Trevor Kavanagh described the “monstrous cheek” of unelected bishops bullying an elected government. Former Archbishop Lord Carey has been equally critical of the bishops, albeit in less colourful terms.
We now have a curious phenomenon of bishops who would happily (if only metaphorically) punch each other’s lights out when it comes to sexuality and the role of women in the church being united on domestic social issues like never before; and almost exclusively at the left-wing end of the political spectrum, sometimes to the left even of the Labour Party, which actually supports a benefits cap. A church that was once the Tory Party at prayer seems now to have its social agenda written for it by the leader writers of The Guardian, and on occasions The Morning Star.
But our episcopate has previous form when it comes to jumping on radical bandwagons. Back in November Rowan Williams joined several Christian charities including CAFOD, Christian Aid, Tearfund and Church Action on Poverty in backing the global campaign for the misleadingly named and economically illiterate Robin Hood Tax. This despite the fact that the inventor of the tax levy on financial transactions, the economist James Tobin, never saw it as a redistributive measure, it failed in the one country where it was tried (Sweden) and many economists think the tax will serve only to increase financial volatility and lead to reduced pension funds and higher bank charges.
It is not that I mind episcopal radicalism per se, but I do object when it is so selective. Take the issue of Israel/Palestine for example. In the recent five-hour House of Lords debate on Christians in the Middle East, not one bishop explicitly addressed the fundamental root cause of Christian flight from the Holy Land, which is Israel’s illegal occupation of East Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories since the Six Day War of 1967 and its continued building, with tacit US support, of illegal settlements on occupied land. The Church’s desire not to offend the Jewish community, with which it has rightly worked hard to restore relations in recent years, has led to an excessive caution when it comes to speaking out against injustice in the Middle East. This has led the Anglican Church to be heavily compromised in the eyes of many Middle Eastern Christians.
This week Rowan Williams is making what has been described as “a personal pilgrimage” to the Holy Land. My prayer is that while he is there he will see the harsh realities of life for ordinary Palestinians, and be moved to speak out against the injustices of occupation and illegal settlements. This would be a much worthier cause than jumping on the latest populist bandwagon being promoted by the stripped-pine-table left-wing intelligentsia back home.
Jeremy Moodey is Chief Executive of BibleLands (www.biblelands.org.uk), the inter-denominational development charity which supports Christian social ministry in the lands of the Bible, including in Israel/Palestine. He has written this article in his personal capacity.
Source: Church of England Newspaper
An attack on Tehran would be madness, So don't rule it out. EMEU Commentary
Arab Muslims and Christians in the Holy Land would suffer equally if Iran were to strike Israel with nuclear weapons. Muslim and Christian Holy sights would burn along with thousands of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Before all of that can happen Iran would need to have made and tested those kind of weapons - everyone, even Israel and the CIA, agree that Iran does not have any nuclear bombs. Taking the entire population of Israel and the Occupied Territories you will find that roughly half are Arabs and half Israelis. Weapons of mass destruction can't be programed to wipe out only one ethnic group. Why, therefore, is there silence on this issue from both Muslim or Christian leaders in the Holy Land about Iran's threat on Israel? Only Netanyahu and his kind seem to be worried.
The position of the current administration in Israel (not necessarily the people of the State of Israel) is to draw Western nations, including the USA and major powers in Europe, into another Iraq type war in order to market Israel's need for economic aid, protection and military support to sustain Netanyahu and his party rule. The U.S. Congress in particular has bought this old story. Why? The number one export from the USA is military hardware and firepower. The Administration in Israel under Prime Minister Netanyahu and the makers of arms want you to support the fear that is being built up - not because it is real but because they both have something to gain. We should not be fooled into another Iraq type war once again. We urge you to pray that moderate political leaders in the State of Israel will be able to overcome the fear that the current Israeli administration is trying to foster so that real gains will be made to bring about peace and equality for all the people in the Holy Land, Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
Read Robert Fisk's article here
Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Sam Oyrwoth Talks about Children's Time in Kampala's Soweto
Children's Time is an innovative charity working among children in the slums of Soweto in Kampala. Sam Oyrwoth tells us about it.
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