'Theological intifada' against Israel run by Arab Palestinian Christian Naim Ateek

"The greatest problem with the Jews is yet not resolved, because most Jews do not want to go to Israel. There are still far more Jews outside of Israel than within Israel. Most of them did not want to go there, but the Zionists made them. Europe did not want them, so they sent them away, and at whose expense? The Palestinians. There are still Jews in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, they do not go to Israel. Some Jews immigrate to Germany, because it looks better to them than Israel. Then there is something wrong. Israel uses propaganda to entice Jews to move there, but most of the ones who would go, have gone there by now."

Note - for European consumption, the site of Friends of Sabeel-France only talks of love, justice, peace and prayer.  What a divine European hypocrisy.

Source: Norway, Israel and the Jews (Supercessionist Palestinian theology develops market in Norway)

Is there a market for supercessionist Palestinian theology in Norway? Perhaps not, but there are elements in the Norwegian church who are trying hard to create one.

CAMERA (Naim Ateek Lets It All Hang Out in ... Norway!) has picked up on how Palestinian supercessionist Naim Ateek is being courted by Norwegian supporters. Unauthorized translation from the article “Runs theological intifada against Israel” from Norge IDAG on the theology of Naim Ateek:

Runs theological intifada against Israel
The Palestinian-arabic theologist Naim Ateek visited Norway last week in order to turn Christians against Israel by convincing them that the promises of land made in the Bible have been revoked, and that the Jews no longer are God’s chosen people. He believes the state of Israel ought never to have been established, and that is has become an apartheid state which ought to be boycotted.

Naim Ateek leads the Palestinian-arabic teheological grassroots organisation Sabeel, which has as its goal to further a just peace in the Middle East. He has developed a distinctive ”Palestinian liberation theology” which he actively uses in order to further pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel views to the christian west. In Israel some speak of Sabeel’s activities as a ”theological intifada”, and in a meeting with Norge I DAG Naim Ateek says he accepts this definition of his activity.


Supported by bishops
Sabeel has a supportive association in Norway, called Sabeels’ friends, which according to its own webpage has, in solidarity with Palestinian Christians, been identified as a resource and cooperative partner by the Kirkerådet (Church council?). It participates in Midtøstenforum (Middle East forum) in Norges Kristne Råd (Norway’s Christian Council) and in the Norwegian planning of the annual Church week for peace in Palestine and Israel. On invitation from the Norwegian support organization, Ateek has visited Norway several times the later years, and from October 12th to 14th he was back. He visited Trondheim and Bergen, and concluded with an open seminar at NLA Lærerhøgskle (Teacher’s school), where Bjørgvin-bishop Halvor Nordhaug was a local co-host. Ateek has previously been welcomed by the bishops of Oslo, Stavanger and Agder and Telemark. He says he in general perceives the Norwegian bishops’ relationship to the Middle East as being balanced and knowledgeable.

Read the whole piece here

NGO Monitor: Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center (presentation)

NGO Monitor reports where Sabeel is mentioned