Annual CCJU Lecture in Memory of Hal Lustig
Dialogue on the Land and the State of Israel
In June 2004, the U.S. Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) General Assembly resolved to divest its financial assets from a number of companies that operate in Israel, to protest Israeli policies in its armed conflict with the Palestinian opposition. In response to the divestment, supporters of Israel engaged in a heated public debate with critics of perceived human rights violations in the Middle East region.
Under the controversy are the religious and ethical belief structures that often seem to divide and set people of faith against one another, but which share less obvious common roots. In a spirit of constructive dialogue, on May 3, 2005, the CCJU hosted Rabbi Charles Arian of the Institute for Christian-Jewish Studies in Baltimore, Maryland, and Reverend Blair Moffett of the First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Connecticut, in a discussion of the land of Israel, its history and theological meanings, and the ethical questions surrounding its future. David L. Coppola, Ph.D., associate executive director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding, moderated the dialogue, and a question-and-answer period for the audience followed the speakers' presentations. The well-attended public dialogue was sponsored by Dr. Laura Lustig, a CCJU Board member whose husband, Hal Lustig, was also a CCJU Board member before he died in 2002.
Reverend Moffett began by acknowledging the pain of the Jewish people in response to the action of his church's General Assembly. He remarked, “I hear the Jewish perception of unbalanced and unfair treatment. It feels to Jews as though they have been singled out for punishment. I want you to know that I have been listening.”
To explain the motivations behind the selective divestment proposal, Reverend Moffett focused on his co-religionists' sorrow for all victims of violence in the Middle East. “The PCUSA is on record as being unequivocally committed to the sovereignty, security and prosperity of the State of Israel. We have loyalties on both sides of the line. We do not have the luxury of rejoicing over practices that produce a ‘win' for one side and a ‘loss' for the other. We cannot be dismayed at the death of Israelis while dismissing the death of Palestinians. In fact, we are in pain for all who suffer -- for Israelis who live in fear of suicide bombers as well as for Palestinians who stand by helplessly as homes and olive trees are destroyed.”
After expressing his appreciation for Reverend Moffett's heartfelt and candid presentation, Rabbi Arian discussed the special relationship between the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Speaking of the Jewish religion, he noted, “There are three pillars of the Jewish covenant: the God of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the Land of Israel. You cannot pull one of these pillars out without collapsing the whole structure. [However,] I want to take seriously the warnings of Israeli philosopher Yeshayahu Leibowitz and writer Amos Oz about the danger of identifying any political state with the will of God. At the same time, I think it is appropriate for those of us who believe that God works in history and through history to express our belief that the return of Jews to our land, and the reestablishment of Jewish sovereignty there, has theological significance.”
As the evening drew to a close, Rabbi Arian and Reverend Moffett shared with the audience their hopes to collaborate further and promote greater understanding between their respective faith communities. In preparation for this dialogue, they agreed that they had formed a solid relationship as colleagues and had become more appreciative of the qualities and particularities of the other's tradition. Reverend Moffett pledged to share his experience with many of his Presbyterian colleagues and spoke of possibly organizing a joint trip to Israel with Rabbi Arian and other Presbyterian and Jewish leaders. A positive sense of mutual enrichment pervaded the evening and the audience stayed long after the close of the program to enjoy refreshments and meet the speakers.
The Annual CCJU Lecture is part of the Center's mission to provide resources and educational opportunities for the religious communities in the Connecticut and the Northeast. For DVD copies of the lecture, please contact the Center.
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