Israel Slams Catholic Call to End Occupation of Palestine

Calls archbishop's comments 'libel'
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 25, 2010 7:27 AM CDT
Israel Slams Catholic Call to End Occupation of Palestine
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, right, meets with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 21, 2010. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, who was touring the Gaza Strip Sunday wants a nearly three-year blockade of Gaza lifted and said Israel's recent opening of Gaza's borders to...   (AP Photo/Menahem Kahana, Pool)

Israel blasted a statement by Catholic bishops made during a conference in Rome that called for “an end to the occupation” of Palestinian territories. “We express our disappointment that this important synod has become a forum for political attacks on Israel in the best history of Arab propaganda,” said Israel’s deputy foreign minister.

Danny Ayalon added that Israel was “especially appalled at the language used” by US-based Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, who said at a press conference that “we Christians cannot speak of the 'promised land' as an exclusive right for a privileged Jewish people. This promise was nullified by Christ. There is no longer a chosen people—all men and women of all countries have become the chosen people.” Ayalon slammed Bustros's comments as "libel," CNN reports. (More Arab Israeli conflict stories.)

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