Let’s hope the churches stand firm against Zionist bullying. The idea of boycotting goods made in the occupied Palestinian territories is the least the church establishment should be doing:
Australian Jewish and Christian leaders have met in Sydney to heal the wounds caused by a call last month for Australians to boycott Israeli goods made in occupied Palestinian territories.
The National Council of Churches in Australia called for Australians to consider the boycott at the request of Middle Eastern churches, but the Jewish community was outraged.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Robert Goot wrote to the council that the resolution was a ”most unpleasant surprise ”¦ we feel that we have been badly let down by people we have long thought of as our friends”.
Last week senior members from both councils – including the heads of the Australian Catholic and Anglican Churches, Archbishops Philip Wilson of Adelaide and Philip Aspinall of Brisbane – met to restore good relations.
Yesterday both councils released a joint statement saying there had been a ”serious exchange of views” which helped Christian leaders better understand Jewish concerns and Jewish leaders better understand why the resolution was adopted.
But the resolution – which called for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and to all acts of terrorism, and suggested churches consider a boycott of Israeli goods from the occupied territories – remains in place. Representatives of both groups will meet again to work on a ”more comprehensive” statement for the Christian council to consider at its next meeting in November.