The Toronto Star writes that “Fury grows over anti-Semitism charge“ Apparently some of the constituent members of KAIROS have their noses out of joint. Maybe they would change their minds if they took a closer look at who KAIROS is supporting and recommending.
First there’s the matter of the Middle East themed letters to the government. While many on the left would say ‘what’s wrong with them? They’re balanced.” What the left takes as balance, I take as a knowing acceptance of maximal arab demands. Such prejudgment of the outcome of any negotiations is hardly “justice” in my book.
Among other activities this, KAIROS endorsed “The Bil’in Pan-Canada Tour: Israeli Apartheid on Trial” and says that the protests there against the “Apartheid Wall” are non violent. If deaths, violence, and rioting are KAIROS version of non violence, I’d hate to see its definition of violence.
Needless to say the tour was endorsed by a who’s who of the anti Israel usual suspects.  Here’s a (partial) list: Canadian Arab Justice Committee, Vancouver; Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign, Vancouver; Canadian Arab Federation; Canada-Palestine Association; Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid, Victoria; Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, Quebec; Fredericton Islamic Association; Pakistan Action Network, Vancouver; Palestine Solidarity Society, Halifax; Palestine Solidarity Network, Edmonton; Public Service Alliance of Canada, B.C. region; Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver.
Don’t look for balance. It isn’t there.
Readers or those who think that KAIROS really is lily white should take a look at KAIROS’ Resource Page, under the heading “Theological reflection and worship materials.”
With only two links, there’s not much selection but both are link to members of the notorious Christian anti Zionist movement. They believe in classic Christian replacement theology ie with the appearance zombie jeebus, Christians replaced Jews in the covenant between Israel and God and since Jews rejected jeebus as the one true messiah they are cursed. Needless to say in their view Jews no longer have any right to the land of Israel… let alone an actual state.
One of KAIROS’ two links is to Sabeel . He’s the dude that wrote among other things that “The Israeli government crucifixion system is operating daily. Palestine has become the place of the skull” Lots more info on this little treasure of KAIROS here.
The second link is to a dude by the name of Donald Wagner. He’s a real interesting piece of work. Among other things he’s a founder of the “Institute for the study of Christian Zionism.” His organization recently  participated in the openly antisemite Voice of Palestine (VOP) “Freedom and the Right of Returnâ€/Nakba conference in Jakarta, Indonesia.Â
The conference’s goals are listed here; the conference schedule is here.Â
Among the antisemites reporting on the conference was one loony tune by the name of Fred Tobin.
Rev Wagner is famous for having compared ‘the one-hundred year process of Zionist occupation in Palestine’ with a killer vine destroying the rose bush in his back garden.
In a bizarre conflation of Judaism and Zionism(in Wagner’s mind it seems there’s no difference between the two), Rev Wagner has also claimed:
The Christian Zionist worldview elevates Israel to a political entity not accountable for keeping Torah or obeying the norms of international law. In its justification of Israel’s illegal program of land confiscation, demolition of homes, targeted assassinations and continued transfer of Palestinians from their homeland, the Christian right and revisionist Zionist ideology encourage the breaking of the Ten Commandments and the Levitical codes. Christian Zionists have traded the mantle of the biblical prophets for an idolatry of militarism and the nation state.
A good response to Wagner is here
Sabeel and Wagner are the only linked authors that KAIROS has seen fit to
recommend to its members.
I think these two authers – the only two linked to provide ‘worship materials’ for its members –  give an excellent insight into what KAIROS’ really thinks about Israel.
Minister Kenney has done the right thing in denying funding to KAIROS.
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