Leading scholars on Christian-Jewish relations meet at Iona College to talk about growing criticism of Israel.

Seems that some Christians at least are starting to wake up!

by GARY STERN, THE JOURNAL NEWS - October 24, 2007

Scholars committed to improving relations between Christians and Jews are finding that growing criticism of Israel among left-leaning Protestants and Catholics is forcing them to leave their comfort zone and face sensitive political questions.

"None of us who went into this work bargained to become political scientists whose task would be resolution of these insoluble dilemmas," said Chris Leighton, executive director of the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore.

Leighton was speaking Monday at Iona College, where the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations concluded its two-day annual meeting. The group represents 28 academic centers, mostly based at colleges, that try to nurture Christian-Jewish understanding at the local and national levels.

These scholars are well versed in the historical, scriptural and theological ties between Christianity and Judaism, and they generally try to promote a more nuanced mutual understanding between the two faiths.

But sporadic, often harsh, criticism of Israel from liberal mainline Protestants and so-called "peace and justice" Catholics is raising difficult questions about how to separate traditional Jewish connections to the land of Israel from day-to-day Israeli politics and treatment of the Palestinians.

"The problem is when people conflate Israeli national policy with Judaism, which has a detrimental effect on Christian-Jewish relations," said Elena Procario Foley, chairwoman of the Council of Centers and holder of the Brother John G. Driscoll Professor of Jewish-Catholic Studies at Iona. "What we're trying to do is think about the theology of the land of Israel, which is a necessary piece if we're going to address the human rights needs of Israelis and Palestinians."

One scholar wondered if it's wise to discuss the Middle East without having a Muslim voice.

In recent years, several mainline Protestant denominations have considered divesting from Israeli companies as a way to protest Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. On Friday, a controversial conference is opening in Boston called "The Apartheid Paradigm in Palestine-Israel."

"There is a certain group of liberal Protestants who don't get it," said Ruth Langer, academic director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College. "There is an aspect of Protestant theology that seems to give preferential treatment to the underdog, without really understanding why, in this case, they are the underdog."

Veterans of the Christian-Jewish dialogue tend to be very knowledgeable of the history of Christian anti-Semitism and protective of Judaism when any developments in the Christian world ring of the past.

The Rev. John Pawlikowski, director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, said some Christians need to learn to critique Israel without implying Israel is an "evil nation."

"From Christian Palestinians, we hear critiques of Israel that are anti-Semitic, where the Palestinians become the new suffering Jesus on the cross," he said. "You can criticize Israeli policy without reverting to classical Christian anti-Semitism."