What were they thinking?
DON’T WORRY, IT’S ALL BEING DONE
IN THE NAME OF INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
Photo:Pope Benedict XVI, center, listens along with Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, left, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, second left, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, second right, and Sheikh Taysir Tamimi during an interfaith gathering at the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem today
The headline to this post reads like the beginning of a joke, which the TT thinks is most appropriate, because both the organizers and participants to the ‘interfaith dialogue’ have a lot to answer for. Such is the wisdom of sitting down with known a racist and genocide supporting leader, because all you’re likely to hear IS racist speech and calls for genocide. Why give the goons a platform to speak in the first place, it only gives them the spotlight and credibility that they crave to pontificate their extremist agenda. Morons. KGS
The Tundra Tabloids agrees with Debbie Schlussel,
“... pardon me if I don’t buy the Vatican’s claim they didn’t know Tamimi would be part of the agenda. And pardon me if I think it’s nauseating that the Pope chose to sit by as this occurred, without walking out on this while it was occurring. And pardon me if I think it’s disgusting he shook the guy’s hand on the way out–the hand of a well-known anti-Semite and pan-terrorist inciter. What good does it do that he walked out after? Big deal.” Also Carl in Jerusalem has much more.
Pamela at Atlas Shrugs notes:
“What was the Pope expecting? Hasn’t he read the Quran? This was pious speech! As if these savages were capable of “peace” — it is an anathema to islamic doctrine. They will never accept a Jewish state. Interreligious dialogue” = convert or die.”
A leading Palestinian cleric commandeered an evening devoted to interfaith dialogue with Pope Benedict XVI on Monday to rant against Israel for “killing Gaza’s children,” “bulldozing Palestinian homes” and “destroying mosques.”In an impromptu speech, delivered in Arabic at the Notre Dame Pontifical Institute in Jerusalem, Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi, chief Islamic judge in the Palestinian Authority, launched a 10-minute tirade against the State of Israel for confiscating Palestinians’ land and carrying out war crimes against the residents of Gaza.He also called for the immediate return of all Palestinian refugees, and called on Christians and Muslims to unite against Israel. Tamimi invoked the name of Saladin, the Muslim sultan who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187.
NOTE: The Pope and the rest should have never sat down with the racist Hamas supporter Tammimi, and at the least, should have walked out during his speech. They chose not to, and that is very regrettable. KGS
KGS,
First and foremost I wonder why you were silent when Pope Benedict XVI was attacked by Hamas & Islamic Jihad as being the most pro "Zionist" Pope ever, or the denounciations two days ago in Amman due to the fact he did not remove his shoes in the Mosque or grant an apology over the Regensburg Speech?
For that matter you did not denote his rather tough speech to the Muslims in Jordan about "embracing reason" or the manner in which Pres Peres warmly embraced the Holy Father yesterday….
As for the incident in question, if you would take the time to investigate, I would, respectfully, urge you to read my post:
https://carlosechevarria.blogspot.com/2009/05/pope-walks-out-after-anti-israel.html
There was NO IMMEDIATE TRANSLATION of the remarks, when the Pope was apprised of the nature of the rhetoric, he got up and left immediately!
Rabbi Cohen from the Chief Rabbinate's office was there as well is he part of this nefarious conspiracy you allude to???
What transpired today is more indicative of the nature of the relations between the Holy See and the Isreal & world Jewry.
https://carlosechevarria.blogspot.com/2009/05/irrevocably-committed-to.html
Are there outstanding issues and differences? Of course there are, like the 6 disputed Holy Sites in question, the issue of saved children given to Catholic families, the Pius XII Yad Vashem entry, etc.
But as a pro Israel & anti-Jihadist, Roman Catholic myself this continued attempt of yours & people like Schlussel/Geller to place the Pope in the Muslim camp is frankly predictated on counter factual and counter historical data.
You should just come out and divulge your true feelings about the Vatican and Roman Catholics, in general.
I agree with you 99% of the time but on this particularly matter, you invariably rail against the Bishop of Rome.
I admit as to not having blogged the Hamas remarks or that he failed to take off his shoes in the Amman mosque, nor was he asked to, I can’t write about everything, but yes, perhaps I shold have mentioned thosse two points.
That said, I made it a point to direct my disgust at all who were present with the racist Muslim sheik, and I don’t apologize for thinking that the event should have been called off due to sheik’s participation. Debbie Schlussel was of the same opinion about the Rabbi as well, and that he should be removed from being a rabbi.
But come on, I updated a recent post with your observations, so don’t think that I’m not trying to be fair minded here.
I’m very glad for your comments, even when I fall below your expectations, but remember, no one person agrees 100% with the other on a whole different host of issues. The key is respect, and that I have for you in spades.
KGS
KGS,
Thank you for your observations and I appreciate your outreach & fairness.
Where we are in TOTAL agreement is that that this Shiek and Islamo Fascists in general are evil…
I concede that if 9 years ago when John Paul II went and he created a situation back then, it should have dawned upon someone in charge that this clown was going to carry out something similar!!!
Again, to reiterate, I a am big follower of your blog, Jihad Watch, Atlas, Always on the Watch, Infidel Bloggers Alliance, etc and i write at the Astute Bloggers….
Take care and I look forward to reading your future posts especially as we must the most grave to our very existence, the devotees of the bloody Cult of Muhammad and their bloody tentacles of doom & destruction!
There’s an old saying: “A carbon copy is never as good as the original.”
If you look at Pope John Paul II’s visit to Israel (in 2000), you’ll see that Pope Benedict is following the exact same path. Back in 2000, Pope John Paul II’s visit to Israel was groundbreaking. It moved Vatican/Jewish relations forward.
Repeating the same itinerary 9 years later demonstrates the stagnation that has occurred in the Vatican’s policy toward Israel and the Jewish people. Moreover, Israel is surrounded by two seas: one made of salt water and the other made of anti-Semitism. For this Pope to visit Israel without aggressively stepping up his stand against anti-Semitism leaves many of us wondering if he’s become apathetic about the subject.
KGS:
Let me remind you that Hamas is at war with Fatah. You have personally documented the immense brutality Hamas has employed against Fatah. Right?
I mention this because I think you have forgotten something: Hamas is at war with Fatah because Fatah isn't anti-Semitic ENOUGH.
That begs a rhetorical question: Why would anyone like you (who supports Israel) let Hamas be a judge of who is "the most pro 'Zionist' Pope ever"?
Who cares what Hamas says about that! Ya know what I mean?
Perhaps I mis-read your response to Carlos. I know you too well to think you would give credence to anything Hamas says. I also know you to be a hospitable guest on this blog so maybe that's why you didn't confront him on that "most pro 'Zionist' Pope ever" comment.
I should really direct this question to Carlos. After all, he's visiting here claiming to be pro-Israel.
And here's another rhetorical question for both of ya: Since when does an an appeal to embrace reason constitute "tough talk"? I don't accept that claim.
KGS, I routinely comment on Deb Schlussel's blog. As you know, I don't agree with her on any number of things. (Does this constitute "tough talk"?) I deliberately asked some questions directed toward Catholic supporters of Israel on the blog article related to this subject. I shall repeat those questions here.
>What I wanna know is: Did the Pope say ANYTHING to confront the manifest policy of anti-Semitism in the Palestinian Authority and Arab League? Did the Pope say ANYTHING to confront Arab terrorism against Jews?<
>I'm sure we have Catholic readers of this blog who support Israel, so I challenge them to inform us as to what the Pope said to confront TODAY's anti-Semitism. Bear in mind, I'm not interested in the usual European crocodile tears shed for the DEAD Jewish victim of the Holocaust that foreign dignitaries routinely display at Yad Vashem.<
My basic criticism of the Pope's visit to Israel is that he is not moving Vatican/Jewish relations FORWARD from where Pope John Paul II left off 9 years ago. That is the basic thesis of my comments above. If Catholics want to make a case otherwise, I'll gladly listen because I'd love to have someone change my opinion about that.
KGS, I don't have a problem with the Pope and Rabbi Cohen sitting down with Al-Tamimi and having an inter-faith dialogue. I don't even have a problem with them listening politely to his anti-Semitic diatribe.
I have a problem with the Pope's response. I think the Pope's response lacked the full level of confrontation such an anti-Semitic diatribe deserved. The Pope needed to address the anti-Semitic nature of the diatribe.
I have an even bigger problem with the claim by the Pope and Vatican that they didn't expect that kind of diatribe from Tamimi. Tamimi staged an identical verbal attack against Israel during Pope John Paul II's visit in March 2000. There's no credible way the Vatican can claim they didn't expect this. On that, I agree with you and Debbie 100%.
I think that TINSC’s views are hard to counter. He hits the nail on the HAMAS issue, (that I missed)we surely don’t want to let our opinions be swayed by Hamas’ judgement on which Pope is more Zionist than the other.
The key here words and deeds (read=action) in the here and now, not what any given leader feels about what happened 60 yrs. ago. As TINSC has stated, we don’t need yet more crocodile tears about dead Jews, but real concern about the ones living today. I do believe that a moment was lost, which is not to say the present day Pope is a bad guy, far from it, but admitting ones mistakes is the path to eventually correcting them.
The opportunity lost was the chance for the Bishop of Rome to either reject participation with anti-semite in the room, or to get up while he was talking and leave the room, and not to stop and shake his hand on the way out.
What could have been even better was an impromptu press event to share his feelings on anti-semitismm and to call on the Islamic world’s leaders to renounce anti-semitism once and for all.
I mean, I know UP-FRONT what it’s like to confront the head of the World’s largest Islamic organization, the OIC, when I said pretty much the same thing to Sec-Gen ekmeleddin ihsanoglu, face to face infront of crowd in a seminar.
Many people there were hearing about Muslim anti-Semitism for the very first time, due to the filters in the Finnsh MSM.
IF I CAN DO THE RIGHT THING,that means so can the leader of 1.1 billion Catholics as well…and he didn’t, and that’s why I say a moment was lost.
But that doesn’t mean this Pope doesn’t have Jews close to his heart, no, not in the least, but that he’s human and fallible like the reast of us. That’s the point,…this isn’t hash and bash time on one of the Jews most dearest friends…and as a friend, it’s good to remind a friend when he’s erred.
As for Hamas and Fattah,…TINSC spoke it all so there’s no need to comment further on that one.
Cheers/KGS