'Pope Turns Back on Peace Dialog' - Sort of

I see in the news that the Pope is spreading distension in the Middle East. My guess is that, at least for a while, anything unpleasant that happens in the general vicinity of Israel will be the fault of the Jews - and the Pope. For 'sophisticated' people, at least.

A sample of what's been going on, during the Papal visit to Israel:

"Pope Benedict XVI urged the Israelis and Palestinians to find a 'just resolution' to their long-running conflict as he arrived in Israel Monday.

" 'I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue,' the pope said, 'So that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own, within secure and internationally recognized borders.'..." (CNN)

Interreligious Dialog: 'Unite, Muslims and Christians, Against the Murderous Jews'

While in Israel, the Pope attended a meeting for interreligious dialog. Christians, Jews, and Muslims were there.

The Palestinian Authority's Chief Islamic Judge Sheik Tayseer Rajab Tamimi wasn't on the program, but he took the microphone right after the Pope. According to the sheik, Israel kills women and children.

Same old, same old.

I don't doubt that women who weren't putting suicide vests on their children at the moment have been killed by Israeli troops. When terrorists use occupied 'civilian' residences as shields, sooner or later they'll get the sort of publicity they want.

I'll give Sheik Tayseer Rajab Tamimi credit for trying an interesting variation on the tired old "death to the Jews/death to the great Satan America" line.

He said that Muslims and Christians have to work together against Israel.

" 'We struggle together and we suffer together from the injustice of the Israeli occupation and its oppressive practices, and we look forward to freedom and independence,' he said."

Before Germany's efforts to cleanse Europe's gene pool, back in WWII, that might have worked. Anti-Semitism isn't all that popular right now, as public policy. Not in America, anyway: I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem all that widely popular in Europe, either.

About the Pope's call for an independent Palestinian state, that sounds like a nice idea. I think it might work, provided that Arab leaders make good on their pledges of welfare for Palestinians, and that whoever runs the Palestinian state isn't the lot that regards killing Jews as a religious and/or patriotic duty.

The Pope left before the meeting was officially over, and so did a number of the Jews attending. I don't know what sort of significance that has: One news outlet said that the Pope shook Tamimi's hand before leaving. (Jerusalem Post)

In the news:

• "Pope addresses Holocaust, Mideast conflict on Israel visit"
  CNN (May 11, 2009)
• "Pope: Holocaust victims still heard"
  UPI (May 11, 2009)
• "Papal dialogue meeting cut short after Muslim cleric criticizes Israel"
  TheCatholicSpirit.com (May 11, 2009)
• "Sheikh attacks Israel, pope walks out"
  Jerusalem Post (May 11, 2009)
• "Pope's Israel visit raises tensions"
  AlJazeera (May 11, 2009)

Related posts:

• "Palestinian Plays Bocce Ball With Bulldozer and Police Car: Blast from the Past"
  (March 5, 2009)
• "Arab Leaders Pledge Billions to Gaza: But Not Quite Yet"
  (March 1, 2009)
• "Murderous Muslims, Catholic Extermination Camps, and Common Sense"
  (February 8, 2009)
• "'Go Back to the Oven' Message to Jews: Not in the News"
  (January 10, 2009)
• "Look at the Poor, Pulverized, Palestinians!"
  (January 6, 2009)
• "Hamas, Palestine, Israel, and How to Seem Sophisticated"
  (January 3, 2009)
• "Hamas Facing Logical Consequences: And the Jews Are to Blame"
  (January 3, 2009)
• "Carter Meetings Proof: Hamas a National Liberation Movement! Reality Check, Please"
  (April 19, 2008)
• "America is in Good Company: Bin Laden Slams Pope, Too"
  (March 20, 2008)
• " 'Pope attacks Iran at Jewish Congress'"
  (October 13, 2007)

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