Optimism for Methodist-Jewish relations

I've just seen this week's Methodist Recorder. Sadly an absolutely first class article (with just a few discordant paragraphs at the end) highlighting the divisions - and the hopes - between Methodists and Jews is not available on line.

In recent weeks I've spoken to many Jewish people. Some old friends, some very new, and it has been fascinating to hear them speak of their relationships with Christian people.

One gentleman told me of his experience with the Quakers. He pointed out that it was they who organised the kindertransport which saved thousands of young people from Hitler's gas chambers including him. He feels so betrayed that many Quakers have now turned against Israel.

Several Jews have reminded me of their admiration for Donald Soper (I have no idea what his views would be on the current crisis between Methodists and Jews), especially his outstanding work against apartheid and his campaigning against colonialism. We clearly enjoy, along with the Quakers a residual goodwill among British Jewry.

My feeling is that within Methodism there is a growing regret that conference plunged into this issue having allowed ourselves to be led by the nose by a tiny internal pressure group. The report in the Recorder indicates this recognition.

The forthcoming legal challenge will allow the Church's trustees to think again as to whether this has been a sensible and legal use of the Methodist name and resources. I think there will be a sigh of relief in many quarters to have a good reason to revisit the issue, withdraw the poisonous report and rescind the resolution that has led to the crisis.

For what it is worth here are the few lines of the Recorder report that are on their website:

THE controversial Methodist Conference-approved report on Israel-Palestine has led to deeper dialogue and engagement between local faith groups, despite the “pain” the report has caused the Jewish community, national Methodist and Jewish leaders have revealed.

The “Justice for Palestine and Israel” report, received by the 2010 Conference, sparked a national row about the Methodist Church’s position on the conflict in the Holy Land. Among other things, the report had called for an end to Israel’s occupation in the West Bank and had invited Methodists to boycott “Israeli goods emanating from illegal settlements”.

At the time, senior Jewish leaders attacked the Church about its decision to back the report, which they alleged was “flawed”, “biased” and harmful to interfaith relations in the UK. Now, five months on – and with national “Inter Faith Week” currently under way – Methodists and Jews have shown signs of optimism for the future of inter-religious relationships.