Israel’s ambassador to Berlin criticized German bishops who
invoked the Holocaust in comments about Palestinian suffering.
In an open letter of protest, Shimon Stein wrote, “Instead of resorting to demagogic
usage, the bishops could have met the families of more than 8,000 Israelis
who have been victims of Palestinian terrorism in the past six years solely
because they are Jews. One-sided presentation of the
conflict and use of a double standard cannot be the way of those who wish to
contribute to achievement of
peace.”A top
Catholic delegation from Germany had visited Israel and the West Bank last week.
Yediot Achronot quoted one of the delegates, Bishop Grega Maria Hanke, as
commenting on Israeli security barricades, “In the morning we saw in
Yad Vashem pictures from the inhuman Warsaw Ghetto, in the evening we’re
traveling to the Ramallah Ghetto. It’s enough to drive one mad.” Other
bishops were also quoted as deploring Israeli actions against the
Palestinians as “inhuman.”
