Standing with Israel
Dear Catholic Exchange:
We were very surprised and disappointed to see Alan Keyes' article on the Middle East and the link to his website on CatholicExchange. His article titled: “Standing with Israel” isn't keeping in mind Mother Church in Jerusalem. Many of the Palestinians living in the state of Israel as Israeli citizens and those living in the Palestinian territory also called the West Bank are Catholic Christian. CatholicExchange is an excellent resource and we hope that you will reconsider future Alan Keyes' articles on issues on the Middle East. The following is a copy of our response to Alan Keyes:
“Alan Keyes, we are deeply disturbed by your support for Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government. On April 18th, we returned from a 15-day visit to Israel, it was our 23rd visit to that country. We have seen first-hand the suffering of the Palestinian people including the church (the living stones) in the Holy Land. Yes, the suicide bombing is terrible, but it is also terrible what the Israeli government and military forces are doing – punishing an entire Palestinian population and murdering innocent people (women and children included). Pope John Paul II and all the Christian leaders in the Holy Land are begging President G. Bush to change its policy of unquestioning support of Israel and insist on a peacekeeping force to stabilize the area and a return of the land illegally occupied by Israel.
In the Bethlehem area, there is a small town, Beit Sahour, with 80% of its 13,000 inhabitants being Christian. In a recent letter they have asked that an immediate halt to the brutal and inhuman policy of abuse against Palestinians, especially in light of evidence of summary executions; all Israeli troops must withdraw immeditaely from all Palestinians cities and refugee camps; a total Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders; Sincere efforts from both the United States and Israel in implementaing a cease-fire; Negotiations for peaceful solutions to be based on equal just and fair terms and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State. Please look at the HOLY LAND CHRISTIAN ECUMENICAL FOUNDATION website for the objective truth of what is really happening to the Palestinian people, most especially the Christians! Full support for Ariel Sharon and his leaders will only continue the violence.”
Deacon Tom Fox and Mary Jane Fox
The Pilgrim Center of Hope
San Antonio, Texas
Dear Deacon and Mrs. Fox:
Thank you for your feedback. I must respectfully state that you do not seem to have noticed much of what Dr. Keyes said in the piece. You make no reference to either the security situation Israel faces or the question of corporate Palestinian responsibility for the leaders they have. Dr. Keyes does not call all the Palestinians “Moslem;” nor does he call them evil. He calls the actions of their leaders, and the character of the people insofar as Arafat has been able to form it, evil and suicidal. He points out the legality of Israel's presence, absent a good faith peace deal, which Arafat has shown no interest in reaching. Granted, he does not particularly defend the care with which Israel fights urban war, but neither do you even acknowledge that Israel needs to fight an urban war in the first place.
I shall indeed carefully consider any future editorials Dr. Keyes writes on this subject in the future and would ask that you, in turn, more seriously consider his statements before drafting future critiques.
In Christ,
Tom Allen
Editor & President
Catholic Exchange
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Another Response to the Israeli/Palestinian Situation
Dear Mr. Allen,
I thought you might want to read the item below from Fr. Raed Abusahlia, secretary for the Latin Patriarch in the Holy Land:
24-Apr-02
It is already positive that both Palestinians and Israelis sat down around a table in “Peace Center” nearby Nativity Church in order to discuss the crisis of the Basilica, and even if after two rounds of talks they didn't reach a solution to put an end to this issue, we still hope that we will have a happy end to this story as soon as possible: it should be a pacific, rapid and honorable solution so that we can liberate the Basilica without being harmed and save the lives of those who are inside without having a bath of blood or a hunger starvation.
Therefore, we think that the matter of time is very important and urgent because they cannot stay any more inside with the precarious humanitarian situation with the lack of food, water, medicine, telephones and electricity for 240 people. The voice of reason should prevail, because it is not logical to keep all these people including 100,000 people who are living in Bethlehem area under siege and strict curfew for more than three weeks without an normal life since they are confined in these homes, don't work at all, no public services and no schools. Within short time they will have shortage of food and already they depend on humanitarian assistance provided by some relief agencies. But the questions are: until which time they can resist? And why all this collective punishment? Will this resolve the problem of violence or will it increase the hatred and anger in the hearts of these people?”
Mary Jane Fox
The entire newsletter you sent is very interesting, Mrs. Fox. Most of it, however, seems to reflect the view of the dominant media — that Israel is the sole monster in this conflict. One item was even written by the sister of George Stephanopoulos, which certainly gives me pause. So while tragic and sad and very real, this point of view is just not one that I consider balanced. The Israelis are on the offensive for a reason.
In Christ,
Tom Allen
Editor & President
Catholic Exchange
Reader Poetry
Dear Catholic Exchange:
I am post abortive and a recent convert to the Catholic Church. While on a Rachel's Vineyard Retreat (for post abortive men and women) The Lord inspired this poem while in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament:
ETERNAL LONGING
(To Mary Catherine McGuire)HOW BLESSED WAS YOUR GENTLE PRESENCE WITHIN MY WOMB
DIVINELY INSPIRED AS SACRED SPACE, BUT FOR YOU A DARK AND FRIGHTFUL TOMB
HOW DREADFUL THE THOUGHT OF THAT AWFUL DAY, WHEN I SO WILLINGLY AND CARELESSLY GAVE YOU AWAY
YET BEFORE THE LORD YOU BEG AND PLEAD, FOR THE SALVATION OF MY SOUL IN HIS GREAT NEED
WONDER OF YOUR PRECIOUS FACE, LONGING FOR OUR HEAVENLY EMBRACE, WHERE ALL SADNESS AND TEARS ARE ETERNALLY ERASED.
By Carrie McGuire Allegretti
Dear Mrs. Alegretti,
Thank you for your beautiful and touching poem.
In JMJ,
Tom Allen
Editor & President
Catholic Exchange
