It’s like a scene from Jurassic Park. A prehistoric creature thought to be merely a fossil suddenly rears its head above the foliage and roars.

Fr Peter Gumpel ‘raps’ the Israeli Ambassador to the Vatican and ‘chastises’ him for merely “suggesting that the Church should delay the cause for beatification of Pope Pius XII.”

Father Peter Gumpel, SJ, said that the Israeli envoy had been "totally irresponsible" to suggest that the cause should be delayed because of complaints that the former Pope did not take action to stop the Holocaust.

83 year old Gumpel works at the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He was already middle aged when the Second Vatican Council took place, marking the start of a change in Catholic attitudes towards Jews.

Although he denies being anti-Semitic, he sometimes seems to be a living fossil of the old Catholic ideas.

He gets visibly angry when he brings up the accusation that he himself is anti- Semitic. "This is one of the foulest things, even worse than some (who) have wanted to accuse me of being a Nazi," he says.

In fact, Gumpel's anti-Nazi credentials "are beyond question", says Ronald Ryclak, an American law professor who has consulted Gumpel for two books largely favourable to Pius.

It is possible to be both anti-Nazi and anti-Semitic, and one has to wonder about some of Gumpel’s statements in recent years.

Here he is in 2000:

"It is a fact that the Jews have killed Christ. This is an undeniable historical fact," Gumpel told CBC.

And here he is again, attacking Jewish members of a joint commission to examine Vatican WWII archives and and arousing a protest by the ADL.

The old dinosaur emits what appears to be his characteristic cry again in 2002

“It is also true that from the Jewish side, hurtful things have been said and done to Christians. I personally believe it would be helpful if the Jewish community would also apologize.”

He also believes "Jews should apologize for, and disown," passages from the Talmud which few, apart from Jewish scholars of that work, are likely to have read and which have no influence on attitudes towards Christians.

One example from our interview: “I am all in favor of yearly memorials of the Shoah. But there are other things to be considered as well, others who suffered, 50 million people died in the war. Poles were killed, gypsies were killed, homosexuals were killed, 3,000 Catholic priests were killed. We should not single out a particular group.”

Odd how anti-Semites like to say that, isn’t it? 6 million is more than a 'group'.

And Gumpel raises his prehistoric head again in 2004. Remember the controversy over the anti-Jewish elements in Mel Gibson’s film, which were largely inspired by the ‘visions’ of Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich?

The Catholic News Service reported that Peter Gumpel, a Jesuit in Rome who has championed her cause, said that in making the decision to beatify her, the Vatican ignored her writings.

“She is being judged not on the basis of what she has written but, as always, on the basis of her virtues,” Gumpel was quoted as saying.

Told that the Vatican is saying it ignored her writings in deciding to beatify Sister Emmerich, Foxman said in an interview, “How do you beatify the good and ignore the bad?”

Maybe Gumpel can’t really tell the difference.

Palestinian Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan is shocked to see Palestinian children begging.

Eyes turned heavenwards and lost in prayer for the whole of his life, it seems the saintly bishop has only just noticed this very common sight.

For years, anyone who has visited that area will have seen them. They will also be aware that begging Palestinian children are not a recent phenomenon, and that there is also a problem of their exploitation by profiteers.

According to Adel Agbariya, director of the welfare department in the Umm al-Fahm Municipality, there are profiteers behind the activity of the child beggars - "people who transport the children in the morning and take money from them in the evening."

Bishop Younan has suddenly noticed the begging children because they give him an excuse to blame Israelis. But read about poor Rada:

Things went well until the Al-Aqsa Intifada. She and her husband, Moufid, worked in Israel and supported their family honorably.

Here is a view of life before the massive terrorist attacks on Israelis by Palestinians.

"Everything was fine," she says. "We had two salaries, and neither we nor the children lacked for anything. There was money to build the house, and in my whole family I was always the first to buy clothes for the children on holidays and also to slaughter a sheep. I wasn't ashamed to accept all kinds of things from Jewish employers, either. One time I got a washing machine and another time a refrigerator. But now the refrigerator is empty, and I sold the washing machine to buy an inhaler for the youngest boy, who is ill with asthma."

Then there is the gentle Amal, who worked as a cleaner in an Israeli kindergarten:

"When the closure and the curfew and the big mess and the checkpoint started, I couldn't get to work. I have seven younger brothers and sisters. Father has diabetes and Mother is sick like this," she says, and demonstrates her mother's illness by breathing heavily. "There is no food; there is nothing. The Jews are good people," she feels the urge to add, as though in apology, "but there is nothing."

Given that more aid per head has gone to the Palestinians over the years than any other people, the continuing poverty in that area is a mystery. Could the money be going on other things?

There is also a great deal of Christian fund-raising for Palestinians, but not for poor Israelis: CRS packages help Gaza Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr.

Why has Bishop Younan never protested before about child beggars, and especially about those who exploit them? Or about terrorist attacks on Israeli children?

He is rather choosy when it comes to complaints. From Dexter Van Zile’s Dhimmi, Get Behind Me, we have another example.

Munib Younan, the Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem, sure picked an interesting time to condemn inflammatory cartoons that mock people's religious beliefs. Younan, who has offered, little, if any, condemnation of newspapers in the disputed territories that have published images portraying Israel as a baby-killing and Christ-killing nation, finally found his prophetic voice on this issue when it was Muslim, not Jewish or Christian sensibilities that were offended by the recent publication of cartoons mocking Mohamed in newspapers throughout Europe.

What does the BBC have to do with Christian attitudes to Jews and Israel? More than you might suppose. How many ordinary Christians carefully listen to the public statements made by their Church leaders? Or even know what they say? Fewer than the Church leaders like to think. On the other hand, they all watch the news on the telly. The views of a Christian on Israel may be more influenced by the BBC 'news' than anything said by their bishops.

Irene Lancaster has some thoughts on the subject of BBC reporting and its possible repercussions.

And in view of recent revelations of bias from within the BBC, you might enjoy this: BBC Adopts Sharia Policies, Stones Gay Staff.

I think that, until it cleans up its act, mocking the BBC is to be encouraged.

I wonder how anti-Israel Christian Arab leaders feel about Ahmadinejad’s threats to destroy Israel? Bishops Riah and Sabbah might like to see the end of the Jewish State - but they live there. If it is incinerated, they too will be fried to a nuclear crisp. I wonder if that thought was lurking somewhere in the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem’s head when he spoke in London recently?

According to Christian Today, Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal describes the two state solution as the “only way forward”.

Admittedly, Bishop Riah wants one of the two states to stop defending itself from the other state by removing its anti-terrorist barrier. Also, he would like a UN ‘peace force’ to protect Palestinians from Israeli self-defence, but not to protect Israelis from Palestinian aggression. Maybe he’s looking beyond a two state solution to a one-state-unable-to-defend-itself-which-then-
disappears solution. But then the Iranian madman is looking for a non-state solution, which would have uncomfortable implications for the Bishop.

His words seem fairly mild by his usual standards. He was speaking at a conference which “was held by the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain and was organised in association with the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and the Universal Peace Federation.”

Other speakers included John Rose (Author of The Myths of Zionism and Israel: the Hijack State), and also Brian Klug, whose dialogue with Robert Wistrich on the subject of criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism is of interest.

What kind of role does anti-Semitism play in the Middle East Conflict? At what point does opposition to Israel turn into anti-Semitism? These issues are discussed by Brian Klug, British philosopher and journalist, and Robert Wistrich, director of the International Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism in Jerusalem.

But back to the madman of Iran. When are we going to hear Bishops Riah and Sabbah protesting about his nuclear ambitions, which threaten them and their flocks? Or will they continue to obsessively blame Israel for everything, even as they are about to turn to episcopal dust?

I have a theory. It goes something like: Nice people like Jews and Israel. Nasty people don’t. Well, maybe not always nasty, although some of them are. Have you ever encountered one of those pleasant, charming, reasonable folks, who suddenly changes personality and turns into a hate-filled monster as soon as the word Israel is mentioned?

If not downright nasty, Israel-haters invariably have ‘issues’ and problems, and their anger quietly bubbles and simmers beneath the sunlit surface, like lava inside a volcano. If they live in a culture where anti-Semitism is well established, that provides a weakness in them, a vent through which the lava of their anger can escape. This explodes in expressions of hate for the Jewish State.

Still, in my experience, nice people like Jews and Israel. And here, in support of this, is a sweet website by a Christian woman, living in Yorkshire, who likes Jews and supports Israel and Israelis.

(And I can’t resist this!)

Meanwhile, I recall being told by people who had personal dealings with the then Cardinal Ratzinger that he was a “nice fellow”, in spite of his fierce reputation as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

And here to prove that he is indeed nice, and not internally corroded as anti-Semites are, is a statement from a recent meeting with Anti-Defamation League

According to an ADL press release, Pope Benedict gave the personal assurance to Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, that “I will always be there for you in fighting anti-Semitism”.

Why can’t Naim Ateek or Bishop Riah or Patriarch Michel Sabbah say things like that?

What do you mean - they're not nice people?

Would you like to see how a Sabeel follower responds to truth and logic after being exposed to toxic quantities of the opposite?

Just try these questions suggested by Snapshots.

They were originally designed to be used at a Sabeel 'peacemaking' conference at the Prairie Village Presbyterian Church, Kansas this coming weekend. They are so good, however, that they can be used again - and again - and again.

A sample:

1. Is it appropriate for the leader of a so-called peacemaking group to use language reminiscent of the deicide charge in reference to Israel, the Jewish state?

Background: Sabeel’s founder, Rev. Naim Ateek has used hostile imagery that is clearly reminiscent of the deicide charge – the notion that the Jews are collectively responsible for the death of Jesus – to demonize Israel. Rev. Ateek’s defenders have attempted to downplay this problem. Nevertheless, the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia has written a working definition of antisemitism that mentions the use of “symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.”

Or how about:

7. Isn’t Sabeel’s support for a one-state solution just a code-word for the elimination of Israel as Jewish state?

Background: In “The Jerusalem Sabeel Document, Principles for Just Peace,” published in 2004, the organization states its “vision for the future” is “One state for two nations and three religions.”

8. If this single state were created, would the Jews be safe?

Background: Edward Said, who spoke at an international conference hosted by Sabeel in 1998, admitted in 2000 that he worried what would happen to a Jewish minority in a single state. “It worries me a great deal,” he said. “The question of what is going to be the fate of the Jews is very difficult for me. I really don’t know. It worries me.”

Go and read them all!

Bet you thought this was going to be about Palestinians, didn’t you?

Nothing much has changed during the weeks I have been unable to post.

Independent Catholic News still can’t resist an opportunity to spit some venom in the direction of Israel. The poison in this case was provided by a ‘Christian’ ‘Peacemaker’ in Hebron, who makes much of ”living in an occupied land”.

The signs of the season are not the turning of the leaves but the closing of gates, the appearance of x-ray machines on the road to Friday prayers, large flocks of Jewish tourists parading in the streets.

“Flocks”? A term normally used of sheep or birds. Could she be trying to dehumanise Jews? Well, she considers their lives to be of no value.

A plane roars over my head and I remember that it is not flying passengers to the Minneapolis airport, but possibly heading on a mission to bomb Gaza.

No mention of the terrorism and constant barrage of missiles from Gaza, or of the Palestinian build-up of advanced weaponry in preparation for war with Israel. She objects to every attempt by Jews to defend their own lives.

I breathe air heavy with the weight of injustice. The sparrows call outside the window. I remember that I am here, in Palestine, in Al Khalil, living under occupation.

Occupation? Call that occupation? How about moving to Tibet, little Miss Peacemaker. You and your ilk never protest about the real occupation there, nor do you appreciate the freedom the Israelis allow you to indulge your feelings of anti-Semitism disguised as virtue. Do you think the Chinese would permit you similar self-indulgence in Tibet?

Chinese shoot unarmed Tibetans - including a 17 year old Buddhist nun, who was killed. A video of the event is available here.

So why don’t ‘Christian’ ‘Peacemakers;’ go to Tibet instead, to protest those who are truly occupied and oppressed?

Could it be because their deepest underlying motivation is not justice but hatred? And they don’t hate the Chinese.

Well, it’s good to throw off that constricting veil. You know, the one imposed by a bunch of oppressive Arab hackers (probably men) on a poor, defenceless Christian woman in an attempt to silence her - and many others. But are the cowardly hackers ‘men’ – or merely weevils? And why is a blog about Christian attitudes towards Jews any concern of theirs?

Now more of these bullies, who want to throw a veil of silence over those who speak the truth, have been threatening to attack the Vatican website.

Attacking the Servers for the Servant of the Servant of God.

From Adnkronos International

Islamic hackers allegedly supporting al-Qaeda claim they will launch an attack on the Vatican's official website on Wednesday night. Several internet sites which act as the mouthpieces of Islamic terrorism have launched an appeal in the past few days on hackers to attack the Holy See's site. The appeal has allegedly attracted dozens of hackers. Under the plan publicised by the fundamentalist sites, hackers will sabotage the website at 8 pm local time and continue to block it for the following 36 hours.

The titles “Jihackists” and “Jihackers” are suggested on the Curt Jester's site.

The hackers' attacks began several days ago but caused no noteworthy damage, Ansa news agency reported, quoting the police.

“Sad bunch of failures” might be another name one could give them.

The long-discredited propaganda fantasy of the ‘massacre of Jenin’ is still being told by the US Episcopal Church.

One place Rt. Rev. Jefferts Shori might want to look is her church's Web site, which is a veritable cornucopia of distortions, and in some instances outright lies, about the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Plug "Jenin" into the site's search engine (it's in the upper right-hand corner) and you will find a total of nine links, the first of which gains the reader access to an article that falsely accuses Israel of digging mass graves in Jenin to cover up "war crimes" in 2002.

Meanwhile, Sabeel is sticking to another old lie, the so-called ‘massacre of Quana’

Sabeel, a radical Palestinian NGO which has played a key role in promoting church divestment from Israel, issued a press release on August 2. It condemned Israel's operations in Lebanon, attributed the war to the creation of the Palestinian refugee problem in 1948 and the "occupation" by Israel and America of other people's land in the Middle East. The statement declares that in "the massacre in the village of Qana in the south of Lebanon on July 30th...over 60 people were killed". The figures provided by the Red Cross on July 30 stated that 28 people had been killed. Sabeel has not corrected this error.

For those who like to blame Israel for all the problems suffered by the Palestinians, here is a reminder of the truth about the situation from Dr Irene Lancaster.

Andrew White http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Foundation+for+Reconciliation+in+the+Middle+East&meta= telephoned from Jerusalem and repeated something that is not a secret. It is impossible to have proper dialogue between Palestinians and Jews at the moment, because any Palestinian who did so would be risking his life.

That's something you won't hear from groups like Sabeel.

And now for some good news. 5,000 devout Christians march for Zionism in Jerusalem

More than 5,000 evangelical Christians, including believers from as far afield as Congo and New Zealand, marched through Jerusalem yesterday to voice their support for Zionism and the state of Israel.

This being an article by Reuters, whose notorious fauxtography has inspired derision, you have to read it carefully. It claims that Earlier this year, the Vatican's envoy in the Holy Land and bishops from three other churches launched a rare attack on the Christian Zionist movement, accusing it of promoting "racial exclusivity and perpetual war." It was not the Vatican’s envoy, but the notorious Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, and attacks on the Christian Zionist movement from Christian Arabs are far from rare.

Well, I see our resident Elder of Zion has been round with the weevil spray, and eliminated the pesky little creatures. No doubt Team Weevil will be trying to gnaw their way back in as I speak.

Meanwhile, here is some good news (highly-strung weevils are advised to look away now, or you may get upset and start seething, rioting and hacking
innocent Christian blogs):

Christians: We'll fight for Israel

Evangelical delegates from around the world arrive at Knesset to express 'love for Israel'.

But here is some more dismal news from the world of the dhimmies. Rev Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, no doubt intimidated by his more numerous neighbours, claims that

Both Christians and Muslims deplore Nablus church attacks

"Some elements are trying to portray Islam as a negative, violent religion. Most of us Palestinian Christians do not agree. The Islam with which we have lived all our lives has given us peaceful, good neighbors within Palestine," Bishop Younan explained.

Yes, what are a few firebombs between neighbours, after all! Bombing innocent people is a well known sign of affection among the Palestinians, isn't it?