Israel

Reliigons for Peace organised a fascinating lecture by Professor Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok who was Professor of Judaism at the University of Wales  and is now a research Fellow at Heythrop. There was a large audience in the Westminster Cathedral hall and Bishop John Arnold chaired the meeting.

The Professor argued for a two state solution for Israel on Jewish biblical grounds. He began by outlining the history of Zionism as a political movement. Zionists wanted a “country from which we cannot be expelled”. He pointed to Jewish anti-Zionism in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Both Orthodox and Reformed Jews rejected Zionism.

The Orthodox saw Zionists as usurping God’s will that there would eventually be Messianic redemption in Zion. The Reformed Jews wanted emancipation and liberation in the societies in which they already lived.

Gradually the Zionist idea which had originally been supported by a few became the mainstream orthodox view. The Biblical concept of “The land is ours” led to the view that all the land belonged to the Jews.

Professor Dan went on to give his own view based on Jewish scripture.  He based this on Exodus and the Kingdom of God. The message of liberation is that now we Jews are free, we must engage with all the oppressed. Who are the oppressed in Israel? The Palestinians.

The Kingdom of God concept points to divine justice for all. Crucial to this is the concept of the right to return. Jews have it but Palestinians do not and they want it. The question of settlements must be addressed.

The Professor answered the many searching questions with humour and wisdom. He remains hopeful that a solution to a seemingly intractable problem can and must be found.

John Woodhouse