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Source: http://www.saukvalley.com/articles/2007/02/28/opinion/editorials/292414748447283.txt
Israel's Critics: When Church Politics Goes Haywire
[Sauk Valley Gazette [Illinois]] Rev. Kent L. Svendsen - A number of religious organizations seem to glorify the Palestinians while demonizing the Israelis. For the life of me, I can't understand how they can be so unsympathetic to a nation who is surrounded by enemies who want to "drive them into the sea." I'm not unsympathetic toward the Palestinians, who have many hardships to face. But I have a hard time offering them sympathy and support after they voted Hamas into office. Hamas has openly declared as one of their main goals to eliminate the nation of Israel. Now we have the latest chapter coming from the critics of Israel. The Israel Antiquities Authority has begun salvage excavations in the Jerusalem Archeological Park, with the intention of building a permanent Mugrabi Gate ramp to replace a temporary wooden structure that had been declared hazardous. In reality, the work does not interfere in any way with the sacred mosque or the Dome of the Rock which are both sacred to Muslims. All they are doing is replacing a wooden ramp so it doesn't collapse when pilgrims go to the Temple Mount. The ramp is reported to be the only access non-Muslims have to be able to visit the Temple Mount. No ramp could mean no access. Could it be that what is wanted is to prevent non-Muslims from visiting the sacred site which is sacred for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike? The writer, an ordained United Methodist minister and an Army Reserve chaplain, served for 10 months as the sole chaplain at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.