The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) denounced a Congressional letter written by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and signed by six other lawmakers that blamed Israel for “attacks against the Christian community in Jerusalem.”
ZOA noted that the accusation against Israel appears to be part of an “organized campaign by openly anti-Israel groups, including Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP),” to demonize Israel when it is the only country in the Middle East with a Christian population that is “growing and prospering.”
They pointed out that the claim of a “supposed pattern of violence against Christians” was made without any supporting data or evidence, and is contradicted by the fact that the Christian population in Israel has grown by 1.5 percent over the last year and 84 percent of Christians say they are satisfied with their lives in Israel.
The signatories of the letter – which was also supported by J Street – fall into two groups, the ZOA said. Several of them are stridently anti-Israel but others seem to have been the victims of misinformation, and the ZOA will be reaching out to them to educate them with facts about Christians in Jerusalem, they explained.
“Christians in Congress have always been amongst the strongest supporters of Israel, so it should not be surprising that enemies of Israel have focused on reducing support by making outrageous charges that slander Israel,” ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said. “The role of Christian antisemites in attacking Israel for their own purposes fools no one. Finally, the involvement of J Street in demonizing Israel is typical of their despicable pattern of self-hatred.”
Klein added: “In fact, though, Jerusalem specifically and Israel in general have been showcases of Christian spiritual and material prosperity since Israel liberated the remainder of the city in 1967.”