Christian Attitudes

Like a gathering of vultures and other scavengers around a carcase, the Catholic media is darting in and seizing bits of rotting food from the current heap of lies about Gaza and the West Bank. Independent Catholic News swoops down first, then the Universe and Catholic News follow it and struggle over the same pieces.

The unpleasant item they are currently devouring is War on Want’s most recent attack on Israel.

Paul Donovan of The Universe, which claims to be Britain’s largest selling Catholic paper, indiscriminately bolts down some offal from the War on Want document.

War on Want point out that Israel’s actions have been identified as war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, as well as being in contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Says who, Mr Donovan? And why no mention of Palestinian crimes? How about tunnelling into someone else’s country, killing and kidnapping its citizens? Or deliberately targeting civilian populations with innumerable kassam missiles? And why no mention of the present Charity Commission investigation of War on Want?

“At such a crucial time when we are seeing the cycle of violence escalate in Gaza, political and economic contact in support of the occupation is going to be seen as adding to the problems,” said Pat Gaffney, general secretary of Pax Christi.

Yes, Pax Christi, whose leader is Patriarch Michel Sabbah, is among the scavengers, too. Gaffney perpetuates the myth that Palestinian terrorist violence is caused by ‘the occupation’. This is in spite of the fact that the current ‘cycle of violence’ was the Palestinian response to Israel ceasing its ‘occupation’ of Gaza. The Israelis pulled out of Gaza, and the Palestinians responded by bombarding Israel with missiles.

“All with links to Israel and Palestine need to look to the consequences of their actions ˆ will they lead to peace and justice or division and violence.”

Yes, Ms Gaffney. Won't the support of terrorists have consequences? If you dislike violence so much, why not condemn the Palestinian missile attacks targeting civilian populations? Or the killing and kidnapping?

Meanwhile, Catholic News grabs one end of the indescribable item hanging from the jaws of Pax Christi while also picking up a tasty morsel left over by Independent Catholic News, whose bias against Israel has already been noted.

A local priest has compared life in Gaza with that described in the Lamentations of Jeremiah, as Caritas Jerusalem launches a urgent humanitarian appeal following Israeli bombings of power stations in the Palestinian territory.

Nowhere do these Christian journalists condemn terrorism. All they do is chew over the old lies produced by those who hate the Jewish State, and growl.