Evening star., 1948-08-28
Christianity Termed
Partly 10 Blame for
Strife in Palestine
ey the Associo,sd pre,s

AMSTERDAM, Aug. 2S.-Ecclesi-
astical leaders said today the World
Council of Churches will 60 on
record acknowledging the guilt OF
the Christian Church for at least
part of the strife over Palestine.
But the church will avoid any
question of political opinion on the
question, said DR.. Conrad Hoffman,
who is secretary of the Church and
Israel" Subcommittee of the World
Council Assembly. The committee
Is drafting recommendations on the
Jewish question for submission at
the plenary session of the council
next week.
Failed to Save 100000.
I'VE of the Christian Church must
feel our guilt in the fact that we
have failed to solve the problem of
anti-Semitism," DR.. Hoffman told
newsmen.
"Christendom failed to prevent the
annihilation of 100000 Jews by
Hitler-a third of the entire Jewish
people" he said.
DR.. Hoffman, New York Presby-
terian lay colsultant at the world
council, declared we failed to pro-
vide any plans for the rescue OF
the Jews from Hitler"
I'VE thereby provoked the present
pressure on Palestine"
DR.. Hoffman said he felt the
Jewish question was IAN inescapable
problem for the church and I don't
believe the council can evade it."
Bishop Dun States Viewpoints.
At news conference the Right
Rev. Angus Dun, Protestant Epis-
copal Bishop of Washington, yes
terday gave the developing view
points on Palestine and Israel.
We have agreed among ourselves
that the question of a Christian
approach to the Jew can and indeed
must be made at a number of diff
ferent levels" Bishop Dun said. He
ADDED that delegates had come upon
"a very real division of opinion" on
Jewish questions.
Bishop Dun said: Here, of course,
the whole, ugly problem of anti
Semltlsm was very much in focus
and I cannot but believe there will
be an expression of common sense
OF our Christian guilt in relation
to this aspect of our problem.
On the question of Israel Bishop
Dun said: I'VE recognize that our
Christian approach to the Jew now
has become a political problem of
considerable dimensions. Since
Israel has become a state among
states, leaving out any prophecies
As 10 the future, ore of our sections
was disposed to think that we had
better not even tackle that be-
cause If we got into the Palestine
problem we would never get into
anything else"
Confusion. Seen in Worship.
Still commenting on Israel, Bishop
Dun said: Since the political re-
atty of Israel has come about, for
one thing, 1t is going to confuse
us In our Christian worship and
expression since whenever we men
ton or read about Israel in the
New Testament, Israel now means
something new, something different
from what it meant before.
When we mention Israel, will
people think Of this state? Before
they had not that to think" Of
This places dificult problems in the
social field"
Undoubtedly" Bishop Dun said
"anti-Semitism has received. a. new
life in Great Britain as a result
OF the political tension involved
and the acute problems and the
suffering Of many representatives
OF that great human community in
wrestling with this difficulty Also,
We must recognize that if we take
up any attitude toward the Jewish
state, that will certainly have pro-
found reverberations on the Chris