ADL, UOJC Slam Sabbah
(IsraelNN.com) Both the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (UOJC) spoke out against Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah after Sabbah criticized the definition of Israel as a Jewish state in a pre-Christmas address last Wednesday. The ADL called Sabbah’s speech “deeply disturbing,” saying his attempt to command Israel to give up its national identity was “unacceptable.” “His comments are particularly ironic considering that he represents a Catholic state and a theocratic monarchy,” the group pointed out.
A UOJC statement called for the church to speak out against Sabbah’s statements, which the group called “as painful as they are slanderous.” The fact that Israel is a Jewish state does not mean that other religions face discrimination as Sabbah said, the group said, and each religion has full control over and access to its own holy sites.