Last July, the US Presbyterian Church moved to boycott Israel and firms that do business with the Jewish state, ostensibly in sympathy with the Palestinian people for the harsh treatment they receive under the occupation. Now, the Anglican and Episcopalian Churches are preparing to join in the boycott as well, with a final vote to be held next June ("Anglican group promotes boycott of Israel, firms," Sept. 26, page 6).
Representatives of these two denominations have recently returned from a "fact-finding" mission to the occupied territories. They were shocked at the deplorable conditions there, and incensed at the construction of the wall separating the two peoples. They deplore the checkpoints, curfews and restrictions, without ever pointing to the causes.
These church representatives, although claiming their decision was one of "moral responsibility," are incredibly naive. They are being used as dupes by the Palestinian leadership, which has been incapable of halting acts of violence and terrorism against Israelis.
These foolish Christians, in their simplistic analysis, compare the situation in Israel to that of South Africa during the period of apartheid. They conveniently forget that the white South Africans were Christians who were supported for many years by Christian churches.
The itinerary of the representatives was a highly selective one, carefully prepared by the Palestinians. Gullible to an extent that defies logic, they accepted this view as gospel.
They never questioned the degree of Palestinian responsibility for their predicament. They never questioned the lack of democratic process among these "victims," their leadership tainted by terrorism or any other relevant factors. They were so ready and willing to blame the Jews.
Did these good Christians bother to visit Israeli hospitals to view the real victims of Palestinian terrorism? Sadly, the answer is "No!"
Unfortunately, the Christian churches have a long history of anti-Semitism, which led to the Inquisition (and the forcible conversion, torture or death of countless Jews) and to the hatred of Jews that culminated in the Holocaust. With such a bloodstained record, these Christian churches should be ashamed to be seen as attacking their perennial victims.
While they may have antipathy toward the "People of the Book" for never having accepted the Christian faith, they might look into the New Testament and consider the words of Jesus Christ: "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and avoid political gambits which will tarnish the reputation of the churches.
Perhaps it's time these Christians reread the Bible. They seem to have forgotten that God told Abraham: "And I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee" (Genesis 12:2-3).
It does not bother them that peaceful democratic nations like Taiwan are threatened by dictatorships like China, or that countries like Tibet have been swallowed, and their native cultures decimated. They are, however, disturbed by Jews who refuse to lie down and die.
One can only hope that good sense will prevail, and that the churches' congregations will reject the unwarranted "Christian call" to boycott the state of Israel, which will merely exacerbate the current situation and punish the victims rather than the perpetrators.
Chaim Melamed
Pingtung City
It is employment pass renewal season in Singapore, and the new regime is dominating the conversation at after-work cocktails on Fridays. From September, overseas employees on a work visa would need to fulfill the city-state’s new points-based system, and earn a minimum salary threshold to stay in their jobs. While this mirrors what happens in other countries, it risks turning foreign companies away, and could tarnish the nation’s image as a global business hub. The program was announced in 2022 in a bid to promote fair hiring practices. Points are awarded for how a candidate’s salary compares with local peers, along
China last month enacted legislation to punish —including with the death penalty — “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists.” The country’s leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), need to be reminded about what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has said and done in the past. They should think about whether those historical figures were also die-hard advocates of Taiwanese independence. The Taiwanese Communist Party was established in the Shanghai French Concession in April 1928, with a political charter that included the slogans “Long live the independence of the Taiwanese people” and “Establish a republic of Taiwan.” The CCP sent a representative, Peng
Japan and the Philippines on Monday signed a defense agreement that would facilitate joint drills between them. The pact was made “as both face an increasingly assertive China,” and is in line with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s “effort to forge security alliances to bolster the Philippine military’s limited ability to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea,” The Associated Press (AP) said. The pact also comes on the heels of comments by former US deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, who said at a forum on Tuesday last week that China’s recent aggression toward the Philippines in
The Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday announced that the military would hold its annual Han Kuang exercises from July 22 to 26. Military officers said the exercises would feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure. This year’s exercises underline the recent reforms in Taiwan’s military as it transitions from a top-down command structure to one where autonomy is pushed down to the front lines to improve decisionmaking and adaptability. Militaries around the world have been observing and studying Russia’s war in Ukraine. They have seen that the Ukrainian military has been much quicker to adapt to