(Telegraph-UK) Robert Mendick - Methodist preacher David Hallam, 62, of Birmingham, England, a former Labour MEP, has accused his own church of wasting funds to pursue a vendetta against Israel. "What I object to is money which I am putting on the collection plate on a Sunday being used to fund a political campaign against the Jewish state. This is both discriminatory and a misuse of a charity's funds." "The Methodist Church seems to think it has a God-given right to tell Jews how to run their affairs. It is very disturbing we are getting involved in a territory where we don't have any members or churches." Paul Diamond, a barrister with expertise in human rights, will argue that a Methodist resolution passed in the summer which called for a boycott of some Israeli goods is in breach of European human rights law and an EU directive on racism. By singling out Israel, rather than other countries with often worse human rights records, Diamond will claim the church is being deliberately prejudiced against the Jewish state.
2010-10-05 11:23:19Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive