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Monday, March 02, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2009
New York, New York
Contact: Sr. Ruth Lautt, O.P., Esq.
(212) 870-2320
Fair Witness Questions America Magazine Article on Israeli Elections
Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East questions America Magazine's editorial judgment in publishing "Arab Christians Assess Election Results" (Signs of the Times, March 2d 2009).
"Fair Witness shares the concern about MK Avigdor Lieberman," says Rev. Msgr. Dennis Mikulanis, pastor of San Rafael Parish, San Diego, California, "but this article features inflammatory quotations which do not help explain either the political system in Israel or the views and status of Lieberman's party, which recently won 15 of 120 Knesset seats."
The article contains a quote by an Arab Israeli Christian saying there is no difference between Hamas and Lieberman.
"To publish a quote like this and then let it stand without comment is pretty outrageous," according to Msgr. Mikulanis. "How many innocent people has Lieberman killed? How many Qassam rockets has he thrown unprovoked at civilian targets? When did he call for the destruction of Arab nations"?
The article also published a quote by an Arab Israeli journalist saying "We now have a fascist party in the Knesset and none of the large parties have spoken out against them."
In addition to Labor Party condemnation (Education Minister Yuli Tamir called Lieberman's positions "immoral") senior members of Likud and Kadima have condemned Lieberman. For example, when MK Lieberman discussed his plan to make Arab towns in Israel part of a Palestinian state, Prime Minister Olmert immediately distanced himself, saying Israeli Arabs were integral to Israeli society. Former Likud leader Ariel Sharon had previously condemned Lieberman's policies saying "We regard [the Israeli Arabs] as part of the State of Israel." Last month, Nachman Shai, one of Kadima's senior members, stated "we disagree with [Lieberman] on Israeli Arabs."
"Surely the editors of America know that mainstream Israeli politicians have over time repeatedly condemned Lieberman's extreme policies," points out Fr. James Loughran, S.A., Director, Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute. Why didn't the America editors make that clear?"
"The Yisrael Beitenu Party has extreme views which are openly and rightly opposed by most Israelis. But publishing a quote calling it ‘fascist' makes the article seem more likely to inflame people's emotions against Israel than to inform," adds Dr. Eugene Fisher, retired Associate Director, Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
