(BLOG) Church Of England’s Anti-Israel Book List

"In July 2010 the Church of England updated the list of resources which formed part of the appendices for its 2001 report DEMANDING PEACE: A CHURCH RESPONSE TO THE AL-AQSA INTIFADA. This list included books, organisations and travel companies was compiled for use by clergy and lay people wanting to understand the conflict both from a historical and contemporary context.

A brief glance at the list reveals an almost uncritical acceptance of the Palestinian narrative – Palestinian victimhood and Israeli aggression. Most organisations and books listed present Palestinians as having neither agency nor responsibility over their circumstances. Arab anti-semitism and Muslim aggression towards Arab Christians is ignored and Jewish Israelis presented as colonial interlopers whose presence is the cause of the conflict.

One might think that a Christian Church would sympathise with Israel, the one small island of freedom in a sea of despotic states, the one Middle Eastern with a free press and vibrant public discourse, the one nation in the Middle East that attempts to enshrine in law the rights of women, homosexual people and minority religions."